Neo One Piece
by Nezumimaru
Summary: Follow the story of new pirate captain Blitz as he gathers a powerful crew and finds the Legendary One Piece! Accepting Character Forms!
1. Prologue

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

AN: I've been reading these two great fics, Pirates! by SeeNoEvil121 and Piracy: The New Generation by YolkaEd. Thus they have inspired me out of my self imposed writing exile to bring you this, Neo One Piece. I will accept applications for characters, for the crew, as temporary allies, or as villains. I will say this right away, although I will try and use as many of the characters you readers submit, I may not be able to use them all. Application Format is at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. I do own this fanfic and the lead character.

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_Twenty years have passed since the time of the Second Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy._

_Like his predecessor, he too found himself on the gallows of Loguetown._

_All came to his execution. Friends and Foes alike to pay their final respects._

_And like the King before, Luffy grinned and told the crowd that he too hid the treasure._

_He hid One Piece, in_ that _place._

So began the Pirate Era anew.

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Burning. The whole village was burning. And though he was saddened by the sight, he did not, nor could not stop it. He shouldn't care, it wasn't his village. Just some backwater port town that his father decided to raid, for gold and supplies. They didn't stand a chance, these villagers. The hand full of fishermen that fought back was slaughtered immediately.

The town was mostly empty, though. Someone must have seen them coming, and got the villagers to safety.

'Guess that's good.' he thought. The onlooker was a boy, no more then 11 years. He had light lilac hair, deep violet eyes, and a vertical scar on his right jaw line. His clothes were simple, a white loose shirt and brown shorts, but not shoes. Across his shoulder was a bag filled with valuables that he found, and at his hip rested a pistol. He had a look of nonchalant, yet if one were to look into his eyes, a soft sadness could be seen.

Suddenly, movement was sensed and a sound of moving rocks was heard. The boy quickly faced the sound, drawing his pistol in one move. There, hiding between two buildings, was a woman, hold a small crying child a few years younger than him.

'So not all got away.' the boy's eyebrows knitted. He glanced to the right and the left before lowering his pistol. The woman looked at him puzzled, but still frightened.

"Though the old man and his men have raided your town, I am not like them." The boy said, letting out a sigh, "If you run now, you can get away before any of the pirates see you, and I can say I never saw you." He then turned and headed to the harbor where his father's flagship was docked. The woman sighed in relief, breathed out a soft 'Thank you' and ran off, carrying her little girl. Unbeknownst by either of them, a pair of eyes was indeed watching, and their owner was not pleased in the least.

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At the harbor, the boy threw his sack at the feet of a large man in front of him, his appearance shadowed by the flames.

"Here, old man. This was all I could find." The boy scoff, obvious dislike in his voice. The larger man frowned, then shot out a hand and smacked the boy, knocking him on his back.

"Aaagh." he grunted, rubbing his now sore cheek with the back of his hand. As he was getting up, the larger spoke.

"How many times must I tell you, brat! Do not address me, with such disregard! I'm your captain and father, dammit!" The boy stood tall, open defiance in his eyes. His father sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are such a disgrace. Insulting and disappointing me, total disregard for my rules and authority," the man glared at the boy, anger in his eyes, "And most recently, disobeying my orders and showing mercy to those you should kill." The boy's eyes widened and he visibly flinched. He saw?!

"What? You didn't think I saw?" the man continued, a sinister smirk on his face. He obviously enjoyed it when his son showed fear. It meant he was in control. "Saw you spare that woman and her little girl when I specifically said, 'Kill and villager you find?'" He smacked the boy again, sending him flying several feet. He then drew a pistol.

"This is the last straw, brat!" He roared, pointing his gun at the kneeling boy. "I had hoped that I could groom you in to my successor, taking over the fleet when I can no longer lead, but I guess I was wrong. You're too damn soft!" He squeezed the trigger, the boy's eyes widening even further. "You nothing…..but a failure."

BANG!!!

The man stood there, motionless, as smoke billowed from the barrel of his gun. The boy lay on the ground, not moving, a small puddle of blood forming near his head. The man holstered his gun and turned to his ship and began to board. From the corner of his eye, he saw some of his men moving to the boy's body.

"Leave him!" He barked, "He rots where he is." Thinking a bit, he added, "And throw his belongings over board. I want nothing of his on my ship!" The pirates hesitated, but quickly grabbed their loot and got on the ship to carry out their order. The wan walked up the walkway, not looking back. A few splunks of objects being throw into the water later, and the flag ship casted off, never to return to that island.

As the ship was leaving, two figures emerged from the shadows of the still burning buildings. Seeing that the pirates have left, they quickly rushed over the still body of the young boy. A single violet half closed eye looked around, not comprehending anything happening around it before it rolled back and closed.

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The boy awoke with a start. He was breathing heavily and…..wait, breathing? Looking around, he was that he was lying down on a bed, in a half burnt building. And something seemed to obscuring his vision. Sitting up, he felt the left side of his head. Touching it lightly, it stung a bit, causing the boy to withdraw his hand before feeling a little more slowly. A cotton strip was wrapped around his head, over his left eye, and in between the strip and his eye was a square of thick cotton gauze. The boy's mind raced, remembering the events of the night, up until….

"HEY! YOU'RE AWAKE!" The boy winced a little. The speaker was a little too loud. Turing to the door, or what was left of it, a small girl in a yellow dress, holding a wicker basket of gauze and cotton wraps. She was smiling ear to ear, and quickly turned out the door. "Okaa-san! Nii-chan's awake!" The boy cocked an eyebrow. Nii-chan?

The girl's mother appeared in the door way, a small smile on her face. The boy recognized her right away. The woman from before! Approaching him, the woman said, "Oh, thank goodness! You really had us worried there for a minute." Turning to her daughter, she said, "Mara, go fetch Doctor-san, would you please?" Mara nodded, and then rushed out the door. The mother then sat down on the bed near the bewildered boy and checked his bandages.

After a bit of silence, the boy spoke. "Why?" The woman looked at him, not understanding what was asked. "Why did you help me?" She then smiled, and walked over to the basket her daughter left behind and took out some wrapping and gauze.

"Because," she said, "You helped me. I felt that I needed to return the favor." The boy blinked a few times with his visible eye, before nodding with understanding, relaxing as the woman changed his bandages. "My name is Sarah. That was my daughter Mara. What is your name?"

The boy flinched, and then looked away. 'What do I say?' he thought, 'I don't want to give her my real name. I links me to the old man, and I don't want to be!' He thought a short while before turning back to Sarah. "Blitz," he said at last, "My name is Blitz."

"Okaa-san! Doctor-san's here!" Both turned to the door. Mara was there along with a large portly man with graying hair. "Ah, Doctor Kolenkov! You're here." Sarah stood and waved a hand towards Blitz. "This is Blitz." Blitz nodded at the doctor, who nodded back, smiling kindly.

"Dah, it ees good dat you are vake, young one." Kolenkov said, a Russian accent evident in his speech. Looking down at Mara, Kolenkov motioned outdoors, "You have done well, Mara-chan. Go play vith other children." Mara grinned and ran out once again. Kolenkov then walked over to Blitz, removed the last of the wrapping, and inspected the wound.

"You are very luck, Blitz-kun. If bullet any more to right, no more Blitz-kun." Kolenkov said very seriously, "I extracted bullet from eye socket vhile you vere unconscious. Very lucky. Maybe you reacted vith gunshot and tried to dodge, dah?" Blitz slowly nodded. He must have. It is the only reason he was alive now. "Ah, even so," Kolenkov continued, "Very lucky that bullet did not pierce further, damage only to left eye." His eyes softened, almost apologetic, "I'm sorry Blitz-kun, but eye is un-fixable, no more can you see from that eye."

Blitz was not surprised. He could not see anything on his left side, even when he closed his right eye and kept the other open, he thinks. "Thanks, Doc. You did what you could." He then laid his head down on his pillow after Kolenkov reapplied his bandage.

Kolenkov stood, a slight twinkle in his eye.

"You should stay in town, dah? You need time to adjust to new vision, and to heal from wound properly." Blitz looked at him and nodded.

"Yeah, and once I get the okay from you, I'd like to help out in rebuilding the town. I feel that I should, as I was apart of the crew that burned it." Blitz said, a small smile creeping on his face. Kolenkov bursted out laughing.

"Dahahahahahaha! Good it ees that you smile! Smiling best medicine, Papa alvays said." He then turned and headed to the door, calling over his shoulder, "I need to tend to others, help vith recontrustion, dah? Sarah-san, see that Blitz-kun stays in bed for next 3 weeks, dah?" With that, Kolenkov left.

Blitz smirked inwardly. 'This is going to an interesting few years, I feel.'

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8 Years Later

"PIRATES!"

A villager ran through the center of town yelling at the top of his lungs. "PIRATES!" Sure enough, a pirate ship landed at the port, several scoundrels waving their swords as they came ashore.

"Hahahahahahaha! This Town is our's! Loot the lot of them!" Shouted the captain, dressed in stereotypical pirate captain attire, lifting a cutlass high above his head. "Kill the men, and satisfy your selves with the women!" A roar of cheers came from his followers. But before they could begin, a shot rang out, followed by a clang of metal. The captain felt his hand wretch, and quickly cradled it in his other arm. His cutlass clanged to the ground, a small, bullet size dent in the side.

"Hey, scumbags!" A voice shouted from up the street, the captain turned to see some one some 50 feet away, holding a smoking pistol. "That was a warning shot. Take another step forward, and the next goes between your eyes!"

The speaker was a tall man of 19. He had a rugged, yet handsome face; short, spiky lilac hair; a black eye patch covering his left eye and a defined vertical scar on his right jaw line. He wore a leather cuirass with large leather shoulder pads, fingerless gloves, a dark green long sleeve shirt, black jeans and brown boots. He was well muscled and toned, an eye candy for any young maid. The man's visible eye glared at the pirates, who glared back at him.

"Aye, and who be you to threaten me like that, lad?" The captain spat, his hand still feeling the sting of his cutlass being forced from it. 'A shot like that, from that distance, with a pistol! And only one eye. This guy is no joke.'

The man smirked, a glint flashing in his eye. "The name's Blitz. And your name is about to be add to the obituary if you don't leave right now." Unknown to the pirates, a second figure hid from view near Blitz, holding a large cylindrical object.

The pirate grinned, "Is that so?" he then snapped his fingers, "Men! Rush him! Even if he's a good shot, there's no way he can shoot you all down before you get to him. And if any die, more loot for the rest of us!" The men cheered, wanting to get a bigger share and charged at Blitz.

Blitz grimaced. His pistol can't fire fast enough to stop them all, but….

"Mara! Dragon's Roar! NOW!"

Suddenly, the second figure jumped into view. It was a grown Mara, and she threw the object she had to Blitz. He shouldered the object as soon as he caught it and it revealed to be a large, shoulder mounted cannon, the words 'Dragon's Roar' engraved on to the side. The charging criminals immediately stopped in their tracks. Blitz went down on one knee to steady his aim.

"Cannon!" Blitz shouted, as the pirates turned to run, "Inferno Shot!" A blaze of red erupted from the cannon and streaked towards its target. And as it neared the fleeing pirates, it exploded with a vengeance.

"AAAAAAARRRRRRGGG!" All the pirate were blown away, some crashing into buildings, others landing in front of their leader. And as their leader stood gaping at the sight, Blitz quickly set his cannon on the ground and redrew his pistol.

"Pistol! Concussion Shot!" Blitz fire his gun, the shot leaving small ripples in its wake. The pirate captain, too stunned to move, was it square in the fore head, and he went down hard. Holstering his pistol and picking up the Dragon's Roar, Blitz turned to walk away.

"Be thankful," He said, "That I don't kill in cold blood. You'll feel a major headache went you wake up, but nothing threatening." Leaving the unconscious pirates for the villagers, Blitz walked home to his work shop.

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Later that afternoon, Blitz was at the harbor, putting a few bags into a small sail boat.

"So you really are leaving." Blitz turned, looking at the trio that had come to see him off. Mara, her mother Sarah, and Doc Kolenkov.

"Yep" Blitz said, setting down the last of his bags. "As great as you guys have been the last few years, I'm a pirate by blood. The call of the sea and all that." Blitz gave them a soft smile. "I'm really going to miss you guys."

Mara, who had been holding back her tear up until this point, started bawling and hugged Blitz tightly. "I'll miss you too, Nii-chan! I wish you didn't have to go!" Kolenkov rested a hand on Mara's shoulder.

"Dah, we all feel the same. But Blitz-kun has big dreams. Right Blitz-kun?"

Blitz nodded. "Yeah. I want to fulfill the dream of any pirate. Find the Legendary One Piece and be Pirate King." He turned, looking at the sea, and grew serious, "That of the dream of the old man that left me here to die. I want to go to the Grand Line, conquer it, and be King, the thing he has always wanted to do. That way, I can prove to him….That I am not a failure. That I am a greater pirate than he is, and a greater man." Blitz stepped in to the sail boat and untied the mooring. Kolenkov shoved him off.

"See ya." Blitz said, waving good bye. Sarah and Kolenkov waved back, as Mara waved with both arms, tears still flowing down her face. Blitz turned to face the sea again. "Now…..It begins."

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An: First Chapter DONE! Please review, and tell me how I'm doing! Also, format for characters

Name:

Gender:

Age:

Race:

Appearance:

History:

DevilFruit/Weapons/Abilities:

Personality:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Dreams:

Other:

Roster!

Captain: Blitz


	2. Fuschia Arc 1

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

**Fuschia Town Arc **

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Blitz sighed and leaned back on the side of his small boat. One day out and another three days to the next island. So far so good. But still, he felt that something was amiss. Glancing lazily at his bags, he went over what he had.

Guns? Check. Food? Check. Map and compass? Check. Bag of Bellies? Check. Bowie Knife? Check. Rum? ………………. Blitz straighten immediately, jaw lack, eye dark and depression filling the air.

"I FORGOT THE RUM!!!!!!" He shouted to the heavens. Blitz slumped over, mumbling and grumbling. "How could I forget the rum? It's the life blood of pirates! A whole day and I didn't notice……Was I that excited?" He then looked at the direction he was heading. This was going to be a long three days.

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One Day Later

Blitz sat in solemn silence as the waves gently rock the boat. Four days with out rum, that's the longest he's ever went. He wasn't an alcoholic by any stretch, but he still missed the taste. For the thousandth time that day, he looked ahead, hoping to spot the next island. According to the map, the port on the island would be called Fuschia.

And bless his luck, that very town was just coming into view! Jumping up, Blitz yet out a shout of joy. Rolling up the sail, he then grabbed the boat's two paddles and rowed with all his might. Rum waits for no man.

Upon reaching the docks, Blitz jumped on the wooden planks, pulling his boat in next to the landing. As he tied the boat to keep it from floating away, he heard a voice address him.

"Hey, mister! You new around here?" Looking over his shoulder, Blitz saw a small group of boys, some pre-teens, some older. The one in front seemed to be their leader and the one who spoke. He looked about 15 or 16, and wore a loose back hat that was pulled over his eyes. Giving him the once over, Blitz also saw that he was wearing a brown loose long sleeve shirt, a baggy tan vest, blue jeans and tennis shoes. At his hip was a dagger with blades on both ends of the handle.

Snorting, Blitz continued to secure the boat, replying, "Maybe, what's it to you, kid?" He stood and turned to the group fully. Some of the younger boys flinched and took a step back, while the leader seemed a little shocked but quickly regained his composure. 'Probably spooked by the eye patch.' Blitz thought, mentally shrugging it off.

"My name's not kid, it's Chris." The head boy remarked, annoyance in his voice. "It's apparent," he continued, "that you _are_ new here, if you don't know who I am. The captain of the Fuschia Pirates!" Chris smirked. "And we have a landing fee that new comers have to pay: 1000 Bellies!"

Blitz chuckled, "What? That's all? Oh wait, let me guess, you also have mock sword fights with wooden swords and kick the canes out from under old men, too, right?" That pissed the 'Pirates' off a good amount. Blitz smirked. This might be fun.

"Don't mock us, One-Eye! We're so feared that not even the local Marines dare mess with us!" Chris retaliated, and then drew his double sided dagger. "And does this look like a wooden sword to you? It's a real knife!" Getting a good look at the dagger, one side was narrow, about three inches long with a slight curve, the other end was about five inches, serrated on the backside and the tip split into two prongs. Over all, a well made blade. Not that Blitz would say that.

"The Marines probably just can't be bothered with kid pranks, you know, having to deal with real threats." After pretending to inspect Chris's dagger, Blitz added, "And that looks more like a tooth pick." Drawing his nine and a half inch Bowie Knife from a sack, he held it up. "_This_ is a knife." Now the older boys stepped back, with the younger taking another, all sweating slightly. All except Chris, who was now livid.

"That's it!" Chris shouted, bringing his dagger up, "I'll teach you not to make fun of the Fuschia Pirates!" He then charged at Blitz, who just sighed. Who attacks a person with a weapon out head long? This guy is not very bright. He easily blocked his attacker's strike, causing Chris to stagger back a bit. Blitz took the opportunity to attack, working up a good horizontal swing. Chris saw this coming and let gravity take hold, allowing himself to drop as Blitz swung above him.

Chris rolled away and sprung up, staying in a low crouch and his blade in a defensive position. "Not bad," Blitz said, tossing his knife from his left to his right in a casual manner, the other boys watching in awe, "Now let's see if you can actually use that dagger, or are you just a poser?" Chris gritted his teeth in anger and leaped forward, Blitz doing the same.

Their blades locked, the two combatants baring their teeth at each other. The two pushed, trying to topple the other over. Being taller and apparently physically stronger, Blitz was winning the lock. As he pushed the juvenile delinquent down, he got a look at his eyes. They were a yellowish green, almost cat like. Almost feminine……

Chris noticed that Blitz was distracted by something and took the advantage. Hocking, Chris prepared to spit in his foe's eye, but Blitz caught on and leapt back, just as Chris spat. The shot hit the ground harmlessly.

"That was nasty!" Blitz said, disgusted, "You don't spit in a guy's eye! Especially if his has only one left!" Chris just grinned.

"That's how a pirate fights!" He said as he charged again. And once again Blitz blocked. Only this time Chris was ready and didn't stagger, instead entered a flurry of attacks, not stopping. Blitz tried to block, barely keeping up with Chris's barrage. He attempted to get a few attacks of his own in but they were easily blocked and left him with little time to recover.

'Damn!' Blitz thought, 'I'm a gunner, not a knife fighter! If this keeps up, I'm going to get cut to ribbons!' Suddenly, he remembered that his pistol was still in its holster at his hip. If he could just get this guy to back off for just a second, he might gain an up hand. But he was just not letting up!

Then, Chris flourished, knocking Blitz's arms wide, leaving him open. Seizing the opportunity, Chris reeled back him arm for a strong strike. The band of young pirate wanna-bes closed their eyes, not wanting to se what would happen next. In that split second, Blitz reached for his pistol. Just as Chris swung forward, Blitz brought up his pistol. In an instant, it was over.

As the others slowly opened their eyes, they were awed at the sight in front of them. Chris's dagger was an inch from Blitz's throat, and his pistol was an inch from Chris's face. Both were panting heavily, exhausted from the bout. Chris gave a small smirk. "Heh, stalemate, I guess."

"No." Blitz replied. Suddenly, he brought his knee up, contacting with Chris's gut. As Chris doubled over, grunting in pain, Blitz grabbed his arm, slammed Chris to the ground and held his arm behind his back, sitting on him to keep him down, not registering that he knocked off Chris's hat.

"Checkmate." Blitz finished, keeping his pistol pointed at the back of Chris's head. "And that, boys," he said, talking to the shock group still watching, "Is how a real pirate fights." Their jaw dropped. He's a pirate?!

"Chrisanthia!" Slightly startled by the new voice, Blitz looked up the road to the center of town. Standing in the middle of the road was an old woman in here late 60's, wearing a grey dress and large hoop earrings. And she looked pissed. "You-you brute! Get off my granddaughter this instant!" Blitz cocked an eyebrow.

"Granddaughter?" Looking at Chris, he then noticed that his hat was off, revealing a head of vibrant red hair. Sheathing his Bowie Knife, Blitz grabbed a bit of hair and turned Chris's head so as to see his face, keeping his gun concentrated on him. He was glaring daggers at him from his position underneath him. And he really was in fact a she! "Well I'll be damned." Blitz whistled, "I guess you really can't judge a book by its cover."

Before he could do anything else, Blitz was slapped across the face hard by Chris's grandmother, sending him flying several feet. "OW!" Blitz grunted, getting up painfully. 'That old hag can really bring on the hurts!' Glancing towards the two women, he couldn't help but snicker. Chris was being smothered by a crushing embrace as Grandma stroked her hair and fretted.

"Oh, Chrisanthia! Are you hurt?! Did that thug do anything to you? You know you shouldn't sneak out when you are having your sewing lessons!" She then glared at Blitz, before marching towards him, dragging an unwilling Chris by the wrist. "You ruffian!" She yelled at him, "You attacked my sweet little granddaughter! I have half a mind to report you to the Marines! You come any where near her again and I will have you arrested!" Calming down, Grandma turned to Chris. "Now then Chrisanthia, let's go home. I'm sure you've had a dreadful experience." Pulling Chris along, she continued, "Nothing like a little painting lesson won't cure. If only you'd just sit still for more than two minutes and act more lady-like. With my teachings, I'm sure you can attract a nice Marine boy for you to wed……"

Looking back at her pseudo-crew, Chris flashed a series of hand signals at them. They nodded and a few of them ran off, two of them remained, fidgeting. As Chris and her grandma turned a corner, they let out the breath they were holding. Blitz walked up behind them.

"What was that about?" Blitz asked the two boys, one about 12, the other 16. They looked at him, puzzled. He held up his hand and tried to imitate the hand signals Chris used. The two nodded in understanding.

"Jailbreak." the older said, "The others are going to help get Chris out of the hag's hold. We'd have gone too, but we were caught once, so she knows our faces."

"We're going to rendezvous at the Barracuda Tavern. That's where Chris's dad works." the younger quipped. Blitz blinked a few times, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"Tavern?" he asked, barely containing his joy. The two nodded slowly. Blitz then ran to his boat, grabbed a hand full of Bellies from his bag and ran back to the pseudo-pirates. "Lead the way! I've been dying for a mug!" Blitz said, grinning ear to ear. The two sweat-dropped.

"He's a pirate, Jack?" The younger asked the older. "He said he was, Pete." Jack said.

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Later, At The Barracuda Tavern

"Gahahahahahahahaha!!!" A large bearded, red hair man laughed. He stood behind the counter of the tavern, as Blitz chugged down a mug of ale. "You beat Chris? That's funny! No one's ever beaten my daughter before. You must be pretty good, Blitz." Blitz chuckled, leaning back on the counter on one arm.

"As good as they come, Mr. Hopkins." He said, taking another mouthful from his mug. Mr. Hopkins gave another laugh and slapped Blitz on the back, making him almost choke on his drink.

"Ah, no need for the formalities, Blitz. Just call me Sam." At that moment, the tavern door swung open with a bang. Only Blitz turn to see who it was, everyone else knew.

"Ah, the sweet smell of freedom!" shouted Chris, stretching her arms in the air. Her hat was back on her head, but no longer hid her eyes from view, and she waltzed in with a bounce in her step. "Oh, yes! Giving the hag the slip is one of my many pleasures. At this moment, the only thing that could ruin the rest of the day is……" She then noticed the one guy at the counter, the very guy who trumped her not an hour before. Her day was soured. "YOU!" she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Blitz.

"Oh, hey Red!" Blitz called, waving at Chris like she didn't want to kill him. "How you doing? Your dad was just telling me how no one has ever beaten you!" He then found himself on the floor, a large bump forming on his head, while two patrons tried to hold back a hell-bent Chris from doing any more damage.

"Don't you patronize me, you bastard!" Chris screeched, causing many around here to wince. "I swear, I'm going to kick your ass, right here, right now!"

"Pistol! Cryo Shot!" Suddenly, Chris's head was encased in ice, causing her to stop thrashing. The shocked patrons and bartender looked at the ice on Chris to Blitz, who was now holding a smoking pistol, aimed at Chris. "Checkmate, again." He said, getting up and brushing off some dust from his pants. The ice surrounding Chris's head began to crack, then shattered. For a few seconds, Chris just stood there, shocked, then she started shivering and holding her head.

"C-c-c-cold!!! B-b-brain freeze!!" Chris said through chattering teeth. Sam, mouth gapping, turned to Blitz, who holstered his pistol and sat back down at the counter.

"H-how did y-you d-do that?" He stammered, "Are you some kind of Devil Fruit user?"Blitz looked at him like he was asking a stupid question, and sighed.

"No, I'm not a Devil Fruit user. I just use specially designed bullets made by yours truly." Blitz said. He redrew his pistol and continued. "See this? This is the _Equalizer_, a heavily modified pistol, also done by me. It holds 20 rounds, has a decent range, above that of regular pistols, and has a very fast rate of fire and reload speed. Another modification is a color indicator and rotation system.

Near the hammer is a small magnifying glass that helps show the color on the bullet that's next to be shot. Different colors mean different effects, like red is the Inferno Shot, yellow is the Electro Shot, light blue is Cryo Shot, etc.

The rotation system allows me to rotate the shots, giving access to the kind I need for the situation. But if I do not have that kind of bullet loaded, I need to make sure I have room in the magazine to load it in. If I don't I just need to use a different bullet."

"Wow! That's amazing!" Pete, one of the two boys who lead Blitz here, said, finally making himself known. He eyes were wide and sparkling with admiration and excitement. "What other kinds of guns do you have?"

Blitz chuckled, "Well, I also have _Matilda_. She's a modified rifle that I…"

"You name your guns and give them genders?" Chris interrupted, arms cross. She just got over the freeze and while pretending not to, was listening closing. Blitz scratched the side of his face.

"Well, only _Matilda_, because it's a human name. Besides, naming weapons is a sign of attachment, means you'll never give it up for any reason. Any way," He continued with his explanation, "_Matilda_ is a modified rifle, longer range and power, but compared to the _Equalizer_, she has a slower reload speed and rate of rife, but still better than that of your average rifle. Like the _Equalizer_, _Matilda_ has a color indicator and rotation system, but only holds 10 rounds.

The last fire arm I use is _Dragon's Roar_, a shoulder mounted cannon. Has the color indicator and rotation system, like the other two, but holds only 5 rounds. It has the most power of the three, has middle range, and slowest reload and rate of fire. I mostly use it for large groups or heavy fortifications, like ship hulls."

"Ship hulls?!" Pete said, astounded. "You've sunk ships before!?" Blitz nodded. "Yep, of pirates who attacked my home. I used them as target practice until I got the mods down right for my guns." Sam, who was listening with intent, started laughing again.

"Gahahahahaha! You know, you're one interesting guy, Blitz! Tell you what, how bout you have the next round on me?" He then drew tap from a waist high barrel behind him, giving the new mug to Blitz. "This is my special brew, Fire Whiskey!" One of the patrons gave out a hoot.

"Come off it, Sam! Not one person has ever drunk a whole mug of that stuff! It's was too strong, the boy'll pass out from a sip!" Blitz glared at the man and gave a huff of annoyance.

"Is that so? Well I take your challenge; give me that mug, Sam." Grabbing the mug from him, Blitz chugged the whole think in one gulp. The whole room stared at him like he grew a second head as he slammed the glass down on the counter with no apparent side effect.

Suddenly, Blitz's face went bright red, steam started coming out of his ears and nostrils, his face distorted. He spazed and twitched, twisting his head around as far as his spine would let him for several seconds. He then started banging his head on the counter in a comical fashion, until he finally rested his head after the last bang, not moving a muscle.

Everyone leaned closer, trying to see if he was dead or not. Then, with out warning, Blitz sat straight up and slammed his mug on the counter, shouting, "REFILL!!" Everyone then went slack jawed and sweat-dropped.

"He drank a whole glass and is still thinking straight!" One man said, then another replied, "Well, not that straight, if he wants refill."

Then, the door of the tavern slammed open, startling everyone inside. The man in the door way was panting, trying to catch his breath. "S…Sam….it's…..Sir…..Sir Porkalot…….He's...making an early tax run!"

"WHAT?!" Both Sam and Chris shouted. The both raced out the door and down the street. The tavern patrons followed, leaving Blitz alone in the bar with an empty mug.

"Hey," Blitz said, a little put off, "What about my refill?"

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AN: Chapter two done, Arc 1, Fuschia Arc just beginning! For those people who actually read these fanfics carefully, yes I stopped using the Japanese suffixes. Why? Because after I wrote chapter one, I felt that it didn't fit and was too lazy to change it. So there. Also, Chrisanthia "Chris" Hopkins is the brain child of **SeeNoEvil121**.

Until next time, peeps!


	3. Fuschia Arc 2

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

**Fuschia Arc Part 2**

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A crowd was gathering in the town square, the people yelling in anger, frustration and confusion. That much Blitz could tell. He had left the tavern after it became apparent that nobody would be coming back any time soon. Moving through the crowd to the front, he soon spotted Jack and Pete, who were trying to get a better view of the center.

"Hey, P n' J, what's going on?" Blitz asked, pushing his way over to them. The two looked at him then back to the center, where a podium and platform stood above the crowd.

"It's Sir Porkalot." Jack said, "He's a Marine Captain who's stationed at the Navy Base near by. One of his duties is collecting taxes, but that pig overtaxes us."

"And now he's giving trumped up reason of why everyone has to pay more often." Pete added. "Before it was once a month, but now he's saying that it's going to be _three_ times a month." Blitz was at awe. Who could be so greedy and selfish enough to have people pay taxes three times a month? Looking up at the podium, Blitz got his answer.

On the podium stood a very large, morbidly obese man who Blitz guess, very accurately, was Sir Porkalot, who stood at about 7 feet tall and 4 feet around. He was dressed in a standard Marine uniform, only it was spotted with dirt and grease stains, and barely covered his protruding gut. His brown hair was in a crew cut, and warts dotted his face. His beady eyes surveyed the scene, snorting occasionally from his snout like nose. Resting at his side was a kanabo that was almost as tall as he was.

"Let me guess," Blitz said putting a hand on his chin, "Porky Pig there is raising taxes to help pay for his eating habits." The two boys nodded, also placing their hands on their chins.

"And to pay for luxuries," Jack said, "The guy sees himself as a nobleman, the closest thing to royalty around here. That view of life is want makes him think he can do want ever he wants and that no one can do any thing about it."

"People of Fuschia! *Snort*" Porkalot called, earning him some boos and cries of anger, "Do not fill up with rage, *snort*. This change in taxation is none of my doing, *snort*. This comes from the very top of the World Government! With the rise of pirates since the death of the Second Pirate King's execution 20 years ago, *snort*, the Navy has been putting more effort to end this 'Pirate Era' and usher in a new world, *snort*! And this requires money! So aid the World Government that you are so faithful of and pay the taxes placed upon you, *snort*!"

"Well, I have to admit, that's a good story," Blitz muttered, "Don't buy, but it's a good story." Pete and Jack grumbled their agreement. Suddenly, a sizable rock was thrown from the crowd, hitting Sir Porkalot square in the head.

"THAT'S A LOAD OF BULLSHIT!" the thrower yelled, who turned out to be none other than Chris Hopkins herself. "We can hardly pay your stupid taxes as it is! There's no way we can pay it three times over!" The mob roared their consent, though the ones standing next to her took a few steps away, as if fearing what was coming next. Rubbing his head, Porkalot glared at Chris before turning to a Marine next to him.

"Sergeant Horace! Just who is that, *snort*?! He looks familiar." The sergeant sighed, "SHE is Chris Hopkins, sir. Remember? We've had a few complaints about her and her little 'gang' causing trouble. Juvenile stuff, mostly, but occasionally she'd find herself in our holding cell, waiting for her parents or grandmother to pick her up."

"Ah, yes, the Hopkins girl, *snort*." Porkalot remised, rubbing his bloated chin. Turn back to her, he sneered, "You know that assaulting a Navy officer is a felony, *snort* right, Hopkins? I can have you *snort* arrested with no hope of bail, right?" Chris just spat on the ground.

"Like I'm scared of you, you fat ugly pig!" The whole town square went dead silent; the only noise was that of townsfolk feet creeping further away from Chris. Porkalot was seething with rage.

"I AM NOT *SNORT* A FAT UGLY PIG!" He roared, hefting up his kanabo. But before he could bring hell unto Chris, Horace stepped in font of him.

"S-sir! Please, let me deal with this troublemaker. If you fight her now, you may end up destroying the square!" He pleaded, waving his hand in front of him.

Porkalot glared at Chris, then said to the sergeant, "Very well, *snort*. You have 10 *snort* minutes to deal with this pest, *snort*. After which, I shall deal with her myself, *snort*." He then sat down cross-legged on the podium, which miraculously did not cave under his weight.

"Yes, sir. Thank you sir." Horace replied before jumping from the platform and walking over to Chris. "I'm sorry, kid, but I need you to come with me. It's in your best interest." he said, drawing his saber. Chris scowled at him. Then, in a flash, she drew something from the back of her hat and struck the sergeant, who managed to block it in time. The item was a dagger, but none that Blitz had ever seen before. The blade was curved so much that it went over Chris's fingers, like brass knuckles. The edge seemed to give off a kind of sparkle as well.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sergeant Horace said through gritted teeth. "Now I have to use force." He pushed Chris of and swung his saber, which Chris dodged, starting to weaving in and out of the sergeant's attacks, occasionally striking back, but her attacks were blocked.

"What is that?" asked Pete, to Jack. "That," Jack answered, "is Chris's Crescent Dagger. That sparkle you see on the blade is its thin diamond edge. You weren't part of the crew back then, but a few years ago, Chris just a regular member of the crew, though she pretended to be a guy since we didn't allow girls to join. But that day the old hag blew Chris's cover, and we kicked her out. She complained that even though she was a girl, she could still to the things we boys did.

So, we gave her a test. A pirate crew had docked, and we told her that if she wanted back in, she'd have to steal something from those pirates. While they were drinking at her dad's pub, she picked that dagger from one of their pockets. Though, the guy caught her, and as she ran with it, the pirate slashed her across the back, seriously wounding her. Chris gave the guy the slip then ran and showed us the dagger before passing out. We got her to the hospital, and eventually she got better, but in return she got a nasty scar on her back, like a big mirrored seven. For her bravery and guts, we let her back in the crew, even made her the leader. But she was never angry at us for sending her on such a dangerous task. She just wanted to be accepted."

Blitz listened to Jack's story, then watched Chris continue to go toe-to-toe with the Marine. A sort of knowing glinted in his eye. "Hey, Jack," he said, "How long do you think Chris can hold out?" Jack and Pete looked at him puzzlingly.

"A few minutes, maybe 10. Why?" Jack asked. But Blitz simply turned and walked away, towards the harbor. "Well?"

"I just need to grab a few things. Be right back. Make sure Chris doesn't die." Jack and Pete looked at each, then at Blitz, then finally at the still fight Chris.

Chris ducked another swing, then leaned back to avoid another. Rolling away from the marine, Chris jumped on a near by bench. As the sergeant rushed at her, she leaped into the air and landed on his shoulders, causing him to stagger and fall. Chris fell, too, but was back on her feet before Horace was on his. She then landed a kick to the side, causing Horace to grunt with pain.

"Come on, Sergeant *snort*! Fight harder! Are you going to be *snort* disgraced as a Marine by a little girl, *snort*?" Porkalot shouted, ripping a chunk of meat from its place on a bone that he held, having had another marine fetch it for him during the fight.

Grunting, Horace stood back up, glaring at Chris, who only smirked at him, mockingly. He went into a low crouch, blade above his head and pointed at Chris, his other hand near the tip. He then sprinted at Chris, who didn't have enough time to dodge. She tried to block the attack, but the blow knocked the dagger from her grasp, and watched as the blade land some feet away from her. She felt the blade of Horace's saber at her throat, the man holding it breathing hard.

"It's over, Hopkins. Turn your self in." Horace panted. Chris gritted he teeth and knitted her brow. How was she going to get out of this one? Wait……

"Hn, you've forgotten, _sergeant_," Chris growled, "that I have more than one blade." She then leaned back, drawing her double sided dagger in the process, cutting the back of Horace's hand. He recoiled, giving Chris enough time to somersault over to her Crescent Dagger, picking it up with her other hand.

With daggers in both hands, Chris started to do a series of flips and cartwheels over and around Horace, cutting and slashing him all the while. "Acrobatic Triple Threat!!" she shouted, throwing the double sided dagger into his shoulder, then slashing her Crescent Dagger across his chest while pulling out her other one out of him, finally a jumping round house kick him to neck, sending him rolling into a building.

Breathing hard, Chris felt proud of her self. 'I just took the next big step in becoming a real pirate,' she thought, wiping the sweat forming on her brow, 'Kicking the ass of a marine!' A shadow loomed over her. A very big shadow. Turing around, Chris was just able to side step the kanabo that came crashing down. But she was not able to dodge the fat arm of Porkalot from colliding with her gut. This sent her flying several feet, landing in the ground with a loud crash.

"*Snort* Hopkins," Porkalot said, walking over to where Chris laid wincing, "for your crimes against the Navy *snort*, I, Captain Sir Porkalot, place you under arrest *snort*. Although," he added, patting his kanabo in his free hand, "from your defiance with Sergeant Horace *snort*, I may need to….rough you up a bit." He lifted his kanabo high above his head. Unable to move, Chris shut eyes, waiting for the large club to crush here.

"Rifle! Disarming Shot!" A shot rang out, shooting the kanabo out of Porkalot's hands, causing it to embed itself in the ground some distance away. At the sound of the gunshot, the widening crowd dispersed, leaving only one man. He was holding a smoking rifle, with the word _Matilda_ engraved on stock. Chris recognized him, the guy from before! Only now he had an ammo belt diagonally over his leather armor and a belt with two pouches in the back.

Seeing him, Porkalot squealed, "Oriiii? Who are you?!"

"I," he said, "am Blitz, the man who will be the next Pirate King!" The onlookers gasped with shock. Even Chris was shock. But she soon smirked.

"Hey," Chris called out, "you sure took your sweet old time getting here."

"Sorry 'bout that, Red." Blitz said, "Had to go grab _Matilda_."

"Hohoinkoinkoinkoinkoinkoink! You? Pirate King *snort*? I refuse to believe you're even a pirate *snort*!" Porkalot chortled, "Blitz, eh? Well, for attacking me and aiding a felon, I place you under arrest as well!" Blitz smirked and said, "Oh, really?" he aimed _Matilda_ at the grounded kanabo.

"Rifle! Shattering Shot!" Pulling the trigger, a grey blur shot out the barrel and struck the kanabo. It began to crack, all along the length. Then with a might clamor, it shattered into hundreds of pieces. "Now what are you going to do, now that you are unarmed?" But rather than worried, the bloated Captain merely grinned.

"I am never unarmed, punk *snort*. Let me show you my power!" He then started to grow. Fur began to cover his body, his nose became more piggish, if possible, and tusks grew from his lower jaw. His arms and legs became more muscular, and his belly seemed to shrink a little, but was still fairly large. His feet and hands turned to hooves, and a tail grew from his back side. When it was over Porkalot stood at least 9 feet. "Long ago *snort*," he said, "I ate the Ino Ino No Mi. I am now a Wild Boar Man *snort*." At this, Blitz could only blink.

"And yet," Blitz said, "you get mad whenever some one calls you a pig." Porkalot charged at Blitz, rolling up into a ball as he ran.

"Boar Boulder!" Porkalot rolled at Blitz at high speeds, nearly running him over. But Blitz jumped out of the way, took aim and fired. But the bullet ricocheted off Porkalot's rolling form harmlessly.

'Damn,' Blitz thought, 'He's rotating so fast that my shots can't pierce. There's gotta be a way to get him to stop moving!' Porkalot came back for another run, Blitz just dodging it. 'But he's moving too fast, it's like trying to stop a train head on!' As the pig marine did another wide turn for another run, a light bulb turn on in Blitz's head. He waited, for Porkalot to get closer…..then he jumped out of the way again. And as his foe did yet another wide turn, Blitz pointed _Matilda_ at the ground in front of Porkalot.

"Rifle! Cryo Shot!" The ground soon was covered in a sheet of ice, just as Porkalot rolled over it as he turned.

"WOOOOAAAAAAH!!!" cried Porkalot as he spun out of control, no longer rolling at Blitz, and eventually crashed into the podium and platform.

"O le!" Blitz said, taking the pose of a Spanish bullfighter. He didn't think, however, that Porkalot would be up very fast, but he was, and he was running straight at Blitz!

"Tusk End….." Porkalot shouted, using his tusks to launch Blitz into the air. He leaped up and caught up with Blitz, slamming him back down with downward blow of his fists. "Raider!" Blitz crashed into the stone pavement, kicking up a lot of dust. Porkalot, however, was not done.

"Boar Slam!" Porkalot swan dived, allowing him self to fall at a faster rate, building momentum. His landing caused a louder crash and an even bigger dust cloud. The crowd, now hiding in various buildings and ally ways, shut their eyes, expecting a bloody scene when the dust cleared. When is did, a brave few started to open, then tem all, and saw nothing of what they expected.

Blitz was sitting next to Porkalot, who was halfway into the ground, and was brushing himself off.

"But, but how?" one person said. Blitz seemed to hear him, saying as he stood, "Even though I couldn't see, my body has a way of reacting before I can even think. Call it a sixth sense. Plus," he scratched the back of his head, "him shouting 'Boar Slam' was a big indicator that I should move." The speaker, as well as everyone else, sweat-dropped.

"Mhmhmhmhmhnmhmh *snort*" Porkalot mumbled, his speech muffled by the ground his face was implanted in. Blitz cocked an ear and held a hand near it.

"What? I didn't catch that." With some effort, Porkalot managed to lift his head with a *thock*.

"I said," He began, "'I will make you pay for humiliating me, snort' *snort*." with some more effort, Porkalot pushed himself out of the crater he made and, wobbling, attempted to stand. Blitz would not give him that chance.

"Rifle! Electro Shot!" A bolt of yellow screeched out of _Matilda_'s barrel, striking Porkalot in the chest. As electricity sparked and crackled throughout his torso, Porkalot spazed and squealed. Taking advantage of the Marine's temporary stunned state, Blitz flipped _Matilda_ around so he was gripping the gun barrel rather than the stock. He lunged at Porkalot, winding up his rifle like a baseball bat.

"Rifle Grand Slam!" Hard metal/wood stock met soft blubbery face. A few teeth flew from Porkalot's mouth as he fell backwards, unconscious and reverting back to his human form. Blitz landed, and smirked, _Matilda_ resting on his shoulder.

No one could believe it. Porkalot was beaten. If he was beaten then…..

"WE'RE FREE!!!" The townsfolk shouted. Without Porkalot to say otherwise, they could now get the Marines to listen and boot him out of the Navy. But one person spoke up. "Hey, pirate! Aren't you going to kill him?" Blitz grinned and shook his head, as he turned to leave.

"Nah, not going to. You guys were the ones being screwed over; I think you deserve to decide how to punish him." He said, walking over to Chris, who was trying to get up. The people cheered, and started to roll Porkalot's body over to the jail.

Chris grunted, still sore from the fight. Blitz knelt and held out a hand. Staring at him for a few seconds, Chris grasped it, and Blitz pulled her up. As he did, he pulled her close, so that his face was right next to her ear, to which he whispered, "How about…you stop playing pirates, and become a real one?" Her eyes widen. Did he just ask her to…? Blitz then pulled away and walked towards the harbor.

"If you want to leave this town and join my crew, gather your things and meet me by my boat ASAP." He called over his shoulder, "These Marine here, they aren't attacking me 'cause, like the townspeople, they don't like the porker, so they're going to give me a chance to run for ridding them of him. But they can't look the other way forever, so I'm leaving while I can. If you don't show, I'm leaving without you."

Chris was torn. On one hand, this was a chance to leave this town, and her grandmother, and become a real pirate. But on the other hand, what of her father and mother, her friends? Suddenly, a strong hand held her shoulder. Looking up, Chris saw her father, smiling knowingly. "Dad…Blitz…"

"You don't have to tell me." Sam interrupted. "I could tell, Blitz asked you to join him as a pirate." His smile grew to a grin. "Come on. I'll help you pack, and maybe distract your mother and grandma." Chris grinned back at him. As they jogged home, Sam continued, "Now, I won't be able to see you off at the docks. With Sir Porkalot's downfall, the folk are going to want to celebrate, and I have the best ale in town, so I need to tend the bar." Looking at her once more, he said, "I just want you to know, Chris, that I'm very proud of you. For choosing your own path in life." If Chris could be any happier, she didn't think she could be, and she hugged her father nearly knocking him over.

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A Few Minutes Later

Blitz sat on a barrel in his boat, waiting for Chris to show. And sure enough, the tomboy dagger wielder came into view, a bag slung over her shoulder and another under her arm. She was grinning ear to ear, a sort of skip was in her step.

"Took your time, Red." Blitz said, holding the pair of oars in his hands. "No one to say bon voyage?" Chris shook her head.

"No, I didn't tell anyone I was going. Well, my dad knew, and he said he'd tell my crew I left tomorrow. I really didn't want a long, teary farewell and…" It was then she noticed the barrel. "Um, where'd you get the barrel? You didn't have it when you docked……." Blitz nervously scratched the back of his head, and was about to stammer out an excuse when……

"THAT DAMN THEIVING BASTARD STOLE MY FIRE WHISKEY!!!!!!!" Chris's jaw dropped and her eyes darkened. He didn't!

"Well! Time to go!" Blitz said, tossing an oar to Chris, "Start rowing."

"Blitz! You stole my dad's Fire Whiskey?! How could you?!" Chris's voice cracked, not believing that Blitz did that. Blitz, however, just spread his arms, like the answer way obvious.

"Pirate, Red." He then pulled Chris down next to him, saying, "Besides, you said you didn't want a long teary farewell, right?" Chris didn't respond. But slowly, a smile creped onto her face. Only one thing came to her mind as the two rowed away.

'This is going to be a very bizarre partnership.'

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AN: Chapter 3 ends, as does the Fuschia Arc. What adventures await Blitz and Chris? Find out next time on NEO ONE PIECE!

Also: I know the fights were short; I went with what worked at the time. So deal with it

Roster:

Captain---Blitz

First Mate---Chris


	4. Upman Part 1

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

**Upman Part 1**

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'This is amazing!' thought Chris, as wind gently passed her face. She was sitting at the front of the boat as it sailed through the light waves. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and view was breath taking. Life of the sea was awesome!

Suddenly, an urge came up from the very bowels of her being. Looked towards the back, Chris glanced at Blitz, who was leaning on the other side of the mast, facing away from her, his hands behind his head.

"Hey, Blitz." She said, "How much longer to the next island? I," Chris hesitated, a slight blush appearing on her face, "I need to use the bathroom." Blitz let out a sigh and gave a jerk of his thumb off to the side.

"Just go over the side of the boat. I promise not to look." He grunted, not turning around. Chris's mouth opened in disgust.

"Out in the open?" Chris squeaked, mentally slapping herself for doing so.

"No one's here to judge you." Blitz responded with a wave of his hand. Chris sighed in resignation.

"Fine, but you better not look or else…" she threated, while undoing her pants.

"Or else I lose my other eye. I get it." Blitz finished. As Chris lowered herself over the edge of the boat, she gave a soft growl.

"Trust me; it won't be the only thing you'll lose." She grumbled, mostly to her self. But Blitz still heard.

"Threat noted." He said, giving a thumbs up. Chris sighed, both out of frustration and relief.

"We need a better ship. One with a private bathroom." She mused. Blitz nodded and snorted in agreement.

"Don't I know it." He said, "Well, we're about a day or so from the next island. Hopefully we can find a ship we can take." Chris looked at him puzzlingly.

"Do we have enough money to buy a ship?" Chris asked, glancing at the bag of money they had. It wasn't small, but she doubted that it had enough for a decent ship.

"Who says we have to buy one?" Blitz asked, almost turning around. Chris noticed right away.

"DON'T LOOK!!!" she screeched, causing Blitz to jump a little and turn back to facing away from her. Unknown to her, Blitz was sweating a bit out of fear. "And what do you mean, 'Who says we have to buy one?'?" Blitz smirked, relieved that she was not backing up her earlier threat.

"We're pirates, remember? If we find one we like, we can just take it." Chris was taken back a little.

"But that's stealing!" she said, a slight scolding tone in her voice. Blitz scoffed at her.

"And you've never stolen anything, right Miss Pirate Leader?" He retorted, earning him a slightly red faced Chris, who turned her head the other way to hide her pout, despite the fact that Blitz was not facing her.

"Point taken." she said, finishing her business and hoisting up her pants. "You can look now, by the way." Blitz got up and sat down on the other side of the mast. Looking around her, Chris asked, "What do I use to wash my hands with?" Blitz once again sighed and once again gave her a jerk of his thumb.

"Just run your hands through the current. Geez you're such a girl." he muttered. He then found himself upside-down, being dangled over the side of the boat by his ankles by a fire eyed Chris, despite that she was shorter than he was.

"I am not! You take that back!" Chris shouted, tightening her grip on Blitz's ankles, causing him to grit his teeth.

"This is mutiny! I can have you keelhauled for this! Okama Wannabe!"

"One-Eyed Shitty Freak!"

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The Next Day or So

Blitz and Chris had reached the next island and docked at the port town, Upman.

"What kind of name is Upman?" Chris wondered aloud. Looking around, she saw various couples, some of a man and woman, others of two men or two women. Occasionally a Fishman or Okama would come into view. Chris really didn't know quite what to say.

"Upman was founded years ago by the explorer Nampu, which reversed is Upman." Blitz said, adjusting a harness on his torso that held _Matilda_ and _Dragon's Roar_ on his back, "As you have noticed, the people here are open about their sexual orientation, much like the founder was with his homosexuality. This openness expanded to other things, like Devil Fruit users, Fishmen, Okamas, etc. No one is looked down on, and difference is accepted." Chris gave a slight smile, a little inspired by whole idea.

"You are well versed in history, a rare trait in today's society." A voice said, startling the pair. Turning, they saw a middle aged man with black hair, though the sides were graying. He wore a black business suit with a red carnation. He gave a warm smile and a slight bow. "Allow me to introduce my self. I am Pelgo, the Mayor of Upman. What brings you here on this fine day?"

"Nothing really." Blitz said, "Just a bigger ship. Does thing place have a ship yard, by any chance?"

"Why yes there is." Pelgo nodded. "I can show you the way in fact. As mayor, I should help visitors in any way I can." Chris and Blitz nodded, and followed Pelgo to the ship yard.

In another location, two figures where watching. "Well, boyo?" spoke one, "What do you think?" The second responded, "Yes, they will do nicely…for our scapegoats."

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Arriving at the ship yard, Chris was awed by the sight. Blitz, however, was not. Where Chris saw an incredible view of the biggest sea-side building she had ever seen, all Blitz saw was a crappy ship construction house with holes in the roof and sides. And there weren't any ships in the yard other than fishing boats waiting to be repaired. Broken pieces of wood and metal littered the beach, and Blitz even saw a crab walk by with a plastic pop ring stuck around its claw.

"This…is not a ship yard." Blitz said, "This is a junk yard." Chris smacked him in the back of the head.

"Blitz, be nice!" She hissed as he rubbed the sore spot. Pelgo scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously.

"No, no, he's right. It is a junk yard. But times are tough, and we don't have any funds left to spare to help fix the place up. Besides," Pelgo looked over at the ship house, "Only one person actually comes down here, and he really doesn't mind the mess. Come, I'll introduce you to him." Pelgo strolled over to the ship house, the pirate pair following close behind.

"Now," Pelgo said, as he reached for the door handle, "this guy, Zugai, he hates being disturbed during a big project, like the one he's working on right now. Hopefully we've caught him during a break." Knocking, Pelgo slowly opened the door. "Hey, Zugai! You have a min…" But before he could finish that sentence, a hammer came flying out and hit him in the head, knocking him over on his back.

"Dammit! Didn't I tell you people not to disturb me while I'm working?!" The speaker stepped out, looking as mad as all hell. He had brown hair that went down to his shoulders and covered his left eye, the other show him to have blue eyes. He stood at about 6 and half feet and had a crooked look to him. He wore a tattered grey hoodie with a few holes in it that revealed a big scar that went from neck to upper thigh, across his torso, as well as wearing black jeans and sandals. On his back was a very large ivory white labrys, which Blitz almost thought was bone. It was after several deep breathes by this man, Zugai, apparently, that he noticed Blitz and Chris standing off to the side, Chris shocked by the incident, Blitz trying to hold back the snickering.

"Oh, didn't see you there." Zugai said, "Haven't seen you guys before, you new around here?" The two were surprised by his calm attitude, which was a major contrast to his action just a moment ago.

"Yeah we are." Chris said, regaining her composer, "We're in need of a ship, and the mayor showed us here." Zugai raised an eyebrow and cocked his head.

"The mayor?" Zugai looked at the person he hit, who was just now sitting up and rubbing the bump growing on his head. "Ah! Mayor Pelgo! I didn't know it was you. Sorry 'bout that." He helped Pelgo up, who merely laughed it off.

"Ha, ha, no worries, Zugai. I shouldn't have come unannounced. I was wondering if you were done yet, but I just the answer is still not yet, eh?" Turning to Blitz and Chris, Pelgo said, "This is Zugai Hibiware. Zugai, these are…….You know I didn't catch your names yet."

Blitz nodded. "Yeah, I'm Blitz, and this," he pointed at Chris, "is Chris Hopkins." Chris nodded as well. "Nice ta meet ya." she said.

"Yes, well, I terribly sorry for dragging you both here for nothing." Pelgo apologized, "Why don't you have a round or two at the bar? Just tell them to put it on my tab." Turning to Zugai he said, "Zugai, why don't you go with them? You need a break once in awhile, you know." Zugai chuckled and scratched the back of his head.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess if I'm throwing hammers at the drop of a hat, I am in need of one." He said, then to Blitz and Chris, "Come on, I'll show you to the bar." As the three started to go, Pelgo started in a different direction.

"I'd go with you, but I should really get back to my office, paperwork, you know." He called over his shoulder, waving goodbye. The three waved back to him and set off.

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Arriving at the bar, the trio sat down at the counter. Zugai waved over the bartender.

"Hey, Barkeep! A glass for me and these folks, on the mayor." The Barkeep nodded and filled up a glass when Blitz interrupted.

"Hey, make sure mine is the strongest stuff you've got." Blitz said. Barkeep shrugged and filled a second glass before filling a third from a different barrel, then placed the three in front of Blitz, Chris and Zugai. And as they started drinking, a townsman came through the door, carrying a bundle of papers.

"Hey, Barkeep! The mail bird just came, and with some new bounties, too. Just going to pin them up on the bulletin board." The man said, walking over to said board.

"Really? How big?" Barkeep asked, ask he wiped up the counter. The man chuckled, saying, "Oh, not that big. Just some up start pirates that attacked a corrupt Marine, that's all. The Government must not see them as a big threat." Zugai glanced at the posters being put up, reading what was said:

"Battle Master" Blitz: 5 million Beli. The picture was of Blitz aiming _Matilda_ at some one.

"Crescent Dagger" Chris Hopkins: 4 million Beli. The Picture was of Chris holding up the Crescent Dagger in a defensive manner.

Zugai blinked, looking from the posters to the two people sitting next to him, back to the posters and back at the still drinking pair, his mouth never closed. Blitz noticed him staring, and looked at him, before looking at the poster board. See his and Chris's posters, he nudged her and pointed at the board. When Chris saw, she immediately ran to her poster and ripped it off.

"Only 4 million?!" Chris said, appalled, "I should be worth more than that! Though, the pic is pretty nice, so is the name…" Blitz walked over to her and inspected his poster.

"Hmm, well, the size of the bounty depends on how much the Government thinks how dangerous that person is to society. Since all we did was kick some Marine Captain's and Sergeant's ass, we don't pose that big a threat." He took Chris's poster from her, causing her to whine, and pinned it back up, saying, "Here in the East Blue, the lowest bounty that can be given to a pirate is 3 million, simply for being a known pirate. Since we have bounties larger than that, we're recognized as being above average pirates." Chris crossed her arms and pouted.

"Still, I should have something higher than 4 million. I mean, it's an insult to my skills!" Suddenly, a blade could be felt at Blitz's neck. Peering over his shoulder, he saw that the blade was the labrys that Zugai had, and Zugai himself was holding it in place, a serious look on his face.

"You two are pirates." Zugai said, "So why haven't you attacked this place yet? That's what all the other pirates did." Zugai eyes widen, a thought coming to him, and he glared at Blitz. "You came to steal something…maybe a ship?" Blitz, seemingly not bothered by the fact that his head could potentially be severed, or by the accusation, chuckled.

"Actually, I was thinking of doing just that." He said, causing Zugai to tighten his grip, getting ready to fight. "But after seeing the sorry state of your shipyard, I doubt there are any ships here are worth taking. Maybe the one you're working on, but if it's still under construction, there's no bother." Blitz gently pushed the labrys away from him and walked around a still glaring Zugai, Chris following behind him.

"Hey, stop with the hostilities," Chris said, a smirk on her face, "You guys have nothing to worry about. We don't plan on causing trouble here." To Blitz she said, "Hey Blitz, can we rent a room, please? I miss the feel of a decent bed." Blitz grumbled a yes, muttering about sissies and wimps. Zugai watched as they paid for a room and walked up stairs to the rooms above the bar. He wasn't too sure of them, not just yet.

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Meanwhile

Pelgo sat at a desk in a very fancy office, doing various paperwork. Soon a ring came from a small snail, a Baby Den-Den Mushi that was sitting on his desk. Picking up the receiver, he said, "Yes, Sakono?"

"Sir, your appointment is here." a female voice responded from the Den-Den Mushi. "Send them in." Pelgo said, "You may take the rest of the evening off, Sakono." "Thank you sir." Pelgo set the receiver down and stood up. Coming in the door were two men. One had dirty blonde hair, blue eyes and a wicked smile. He wore a brown trench coat that revealed his bare chest, a pair of cameo pants and boots, and a metal staff was resting over his shoulder.

The other towered over the two of them, his upper face shadowed by his wide brim straw hat, though his chiseled jaw indicated an older man. He wore a black sleeveless high collared shirt with a gold oriental dragon twisting its way around it, the bottom created flaps in the front and back. He also wore baggy black pants, straw sandals and on his thick wrist were black bands.

"Card Shark," Pelgo said, nodding to the blonde man, "Dojang." he nodded to the taller, "thank you for seeing me this evening."

"No problem, boyo." Card Shark said, with a slight Irish accent, "Always happy to see a client." Dojang put his hand together and bowed respectfully.

"What is it that thy requires from us, Lord Pelgo?" Dojang asked. Pelgo walked around his desk to the window that over looked Upman, his hand behind his back.

"My plans are nearly ready to move forward. All I need—" Interupting, Card Shark held up a hand.

"Are scapegoats. People to use as distractions." He said, pulling out some papers from his coat. "And we have the perfect targets, boyo." He handed the papers to Pelgo, who took them and read them. They were the wanted posters for Blitz and Chris.

"So, they _are_ pirates…" Pelgo mused, "Young, up and coming, trying to make a name for themselves, the townspeople will buy it." Placing the posters on his desk, he motioned for the two to leave. "That is all I needed, go make the preperations."

"Righto!"

"As you wish, Milord."

After the two left, Pelgo turned back to the window, looking at the people still out with disgust. "Soon," he said, a sinister tone in his voice, "I shall begin my quest to rid this world of these……_freaks_."

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AN: DUH DUH DUH!!! The plot thickens…What will the Mayor have in stored for the people of Upman? Find out nest time!

Also, Zugai Hibiware is the creation of **YolkEd**, and therefore not mine. He also submitted the bio for the character Nampu, but I felt that he was not needed on the story, and I felt guilty, so I incorporated him in another way. I also wish to apologize for being late with the update. I was hired by my grandpa to pull curtains at his barbershop chorus concert, and it took up a lot of my free time.

I've also noticed that in **YolkaEd**'s story, **SeeNoEvil**'s story, and my own, both Chris and Zugai are apart of the story line……


	5. Upman Part 2

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

**Upman Part 2**

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Mayor Pelgo's secretary, Sakono, whistled as she walked into her office, right outside the Mayor's. She carried a portfolio of the day's paperwork, and Pelgo's morning coffee. As she set the portfolio down on her desk, the door opened behind her, revealing Zugai.

" 'Morning, Sakono." Zugai said, giving a two finger salute. "Is Mayor Pelgo in? I wanted to discuss about a fundraiser to improve the shipyard. With the economy the way it is, I doubt you guys can just set aside some tax money for it."

"I understand, Zugai." Sakono answered, walking over to the Mayor's office door, "And I'm sure the Mayor's in. He had an appointment last night, said he was going to work late after that. Knowing him, he probably pulled another all-nighter." As she opened the door, the sight that greeted her caused her to drop the coffee she still carried. Pelgo was lying face down on the floor, surrounded by blood. The window was smashed from the outside, books where everywhere. Sakono and Zugai rushed to Pelgo's side. Feeling his pulse, Zugai found none, and his skin was as cold as a grave. Zugai gritted his teeth in anger.

"Those pirates," he growled, "they must be behind this; no one in this town would ever harm him." Grabbing his laybrs from his back, he rushed out the door, anger and vengeance in his eyes. Sakono ran to the Den-Den Mushi at Pelgo's desk. Neither, in their shock, noticed that the body's eyes were made of stone.

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Chirs stretched as she and Blitz walked down the street to the docks. They had slept well, but now it was time to leave, in search of a town with a decent ship.

"But why did we have to get up so early?" Chris wondered aloud, "I liked that bed, it was soft and comfy." To Blitz she said, "Couldn't we have stayed a little longer? Sleep in maybe?" Blitz shook his head.

"No, if we want to get to the next town before night fall, then we should leave early and as soon as possible." He said. Chris groaned and slumped over. So much for a comfy bed. Suddenly, a voice rang out through out the town, seemingly coming from no where.

"Attention! Attention people of Upman!" a female voice shrilled, "This is Sakono over the town PA system. Mayor Pelgo has been murdered!" Gasps could be heard from all over. Blitz and Chris, surprised and curious, stopped to listen. "Known pirates are within Upman! Find them and apprehend them for questioning!" This worried Chris a little.

"Huh, Blitz?" she asked, "When she says 'known pirates', she doesn't mean us right?" Blitz didn't answer, instead he grabbed Chris by the wrist and started running. A look of seriousness was on his face and Chris didn't miss it. "What? What's wrong?"

"That." Blitz said, quickly pulling her into an alleyway. Peering around the corner, Chris saw a few villagers by their boat, guarding it. "That PA system must be all over town," Blitz said, "The dock workers saw us coming in, and know what our boat looks like, and are guarding it." He shook his head. "Looks like we're in trouble."

"Darn right you are!" a voice growled from behind them. Turning, the two saw Zugai, laybrs in hand, glaring at them. "I knew you pirates were up to no good! Now you've murdered Mayor Pelgo! You are going to die right here!" Zugai rushed at them, winding up for a slash. "Feel the wrath of Honehakaisha!"

Acting fast, Blitz pushed Chris out of the way as he rolled in the opposite direction. Honehakaisha took a chunk out of the wall that was behind them, and made such a noise that it alerted the dockworkers, who immediately started to investigate.

'Damn.' thought Blitz. Pulling out _Matilda_, he shouted to Chris, "Chris, run and regroup! I'll distract them!" Chris nodded and ran down the alley way. Blitz ran further into the street and aimed _Matilda _at the workers, who aimed their own rifles at him. Suddenly, Zugai jumped in between, facing Blitz.

"Go after the other one. This one's mine." He said. The workers hesitated, then ran after Chris. Blitz was about to give chase, but Zugai attacked. "You'd better mind your own battles, pirate!" As the laybrs came down, Blitz brought up _Matilda_, blocking it just below the blade. Blitz tried to keep him off, but Zugai was proving to be the stronger. He let up for a fraction of a second, then pushed all of his might, causing Blitz to stumble backwards. Not able to swing Honahakaisha fast enough, Zugai decided to just knee Blitz instead. This act sent Blitz flying across the street into some buildings.

Blitz staggered to his feet, holding hid head in an attempt to stop the throbbing. "Ouch." he moaned, "That hurt." Shaking the last of the aches from his noggin, he put _Matilda_ back on his back and drew _Equalizer_ from his hip. 'This guy is strong. If I'm going to beat him, I need maneuverability and speed, and I doubt he'll give me time to aim _Matilda_.' "Pistol! Electro Shot!" Blitz fired, a yellow bolt flying from _Equalizer_. Zugai, surprised by the unique projectile, barely managed to dodge, the shot nicking his shoulder. But despite that, a jolt of electricity flowed through his shoulder and upper arm, causing him to almost drop Honehakaisha.

'Damn.' Zugai thought, 'Those are no ordinary firearms! Even just a grazed hit can affect you.' He grimaced. This pirate is going to be a lot tougher to beat then the others he's faced. Zugai concentrated, a slight ripple going throughout his body. Blitz noticed this, and the fact that Zugai seemed to get……slighter.

"What the hell are you doing?" Blitz asked, obviously fascinated and curious. Zugai smirked and rested Honahakaisha on his shoulder.

"I'm using the powers of my Devil Fruit, the Hone Hone No Mi." Zugai Lifted his other arm in front of him, "With it, I can control the density of bones, both mine and others. Right now I decreased my bone density, making it lighter and my self faster. I doubt your special ammo will be of much use now, now that it'll be harder to hit me." Blitz smirked.

"So, it's a challenge to see who's faster. Well, Mister Bonehead," He mocked, causing a tick mark to appear on Zugai's head, "I got an itchy finger, a hair trigger, and a short fuse. Bring it." Blitz then jumped, hopping onto a window sill above him then onto the rooftop. Zugai followed suit, his now lighter body and strong legs allowing him to make the jump in one go. Blitz sped across the roof tops, with Zugai in hot pursuit, firing every so often to keep a gap between the two. 'Sure hope Chris is doing alright.' Blitz thought.

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With Chris

'Damn that Blitz! He said he was going to distract them!' Chris cursed inwardly. She was currently being chased by the dockworkers, 7 in all, while simultaneously dodging their bullets. She tried running down alleys and did some back tracking, but they were always right on her heels. Without knowing the lay out of this town, not as well as Fuschia, Chris didn't know where to hide or where to run. Looking over shoulder, Chris noticed that that weird shipbuilder wasn't among the mini-mob. 'Must be fighting Blitz. But how do I lose these guys?'

Suddenly, a pile of barrels came into view. Thinking fast, Chris jumped on the barrels and, as she jumped off, sent the barrels rolling towards her chasers. Two guys in front were unprepared for this, and took the brunt of the attack, taking them out. Two down, five to go.

Turning a corner, Chris came across what looked like a stall. As the remaining workers rounded the corner as well, Chris drew the Crescent Dagger from under her hat and with two swift strikes, cut out a section out of one of the wooden stall poles and kicked it. It hit one of the workers square in the head, knocking him out. Three down, four to go.

Chris then noticed a large wagon conveniently placed in the middle of an up hill slope of road. Running up to it, she gave it a push, gaining momentum as it sped down the slope. The workers were naught but bowling pins to the wagon and it plowed right through them. It knocked two of them out, but two managed to get back up, with some effort. Five down, two to go.

As the remaining two gathered themselves, Chris ran further down the street. She ran past a building, but stopped and backed up to it. The sign on it caused her to smirk. The last two pursier caught up, only seeing her duck into the building, and not what building it was. At the door, they nodded to each other, and body checked the door down, ending in a mighty THUD. As they got up, they noticed where they were, and how much trouble they were in.

The building was a women's public shower, and despite the uproar of pirate assassins, a dozen or so women were using it. And regardless of the Upman's tolerance, the women there had zero when it came to peeping toms.

"PERVERTS!" Acting as nature made them to, the women of the showers started the beat down. To make things worse for the two men, three of the women there were Fishwomen, and everyone knows that an angry Fishwoman hits a hell lot harder than any other female.

Whilst the slaughter was going on, no one noticed a young red head, covering up with large towel, leave the showers. As she got a good distance away, the girl, obviously Chris, discarded the towel and placed her hat back on her head.

"The poor bastards," Chris said, wincing at the blood curdling screams of the two men, "I almost feel sorry for them." Laughing, Chris ran down the street, looking for a place to hide. Seven down, free to go. 'Wonder how Blitz is doing?"

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Back with Blitz

Blitz continued to run and jump across the rooftops, and Zugai continued to follow, trying to catch up with his quarry. But trying to do so while dodging bullets is no simple task. So Zugai decided to improvise. Placing Honehakaisha on his back, Zugai grabbed his left hand and proceeded to pull out his finger bones, leaving the flesh limp. "Evasive Surgery: Phalanges." Looking over his shoulder, Blitz saw this, and to say he was shocked would be an understatment.

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THAT!?" He shouted at Zugai, trying to comprehend what he just did. Zugai lifted his good hand, three finger bones between his knuckles and looking as sharp as knives.

"Another example of my power." Zugai responded, "I can remove bones without harming the body, and by manipulating their density, I can make my fingers as light and sharp as knives. Want a closer look?" He then threw the bone-knives, aiming straight at Blitz. Not expecting a ranged attack, Blitz tried to turn away, but the bone-knives caught him in the leg. A jolt of pain shot through his leg, causing Blitz to lose momentum and miss a jump, falling into an alley, breaking a few boxes he landed on.

Finally catching up, Zugai landed on the pavement, Blitz trying to get up from his fall. Zugai roughly pulled his out his bone knives from Blitz's leg, causing Blitz to hiss in pain. "Think that hurts?" Zugai spat as he placed his fingers back into his hand, "Then you aren't going to enjoy this. Evasive Surgery: Femur." Grabbing Blitz's unharmed leg, Zugai pulled out the femur bone. Blitz felt sharp pain then numbness in his leg.

"Damn," Blitz groaned, rubbing his leg, "That did hurt." 'Me must be able to do the same thing to other people, not just himself.' he thought, trying to assess a weakness. Not that Zugai would give him time to.

"Yeah, and so will this! Femur Club!" Zugai swung down violently with his newly acquired weapon, narrowly missing Blitz, who rolled out of the way. Blitz drew _Matilda_, and with it got to his feet, using it as an impromptu crutch. Zugai raised his visible eyebrow. "Isn't a little unsafe to use a gun like that? It might go off."

"Gee, I didn't know you cared." Blitz mocked, "And yes, it is safe. I built these guns my self, so I know where the bad spots are that makes the gun go off if hit in a wrong way." To demonstrate, Blitz held _Matilda_ at arms length and hit the ground with the butt. _Matilda_ instantly went off, showing the shy with red sparks. Both Blitz and Zugai looked up and then back at each other. "O…K…" Blitz said, obviously not expecting that, "I now know another spot where not to hit." A large sweat-drop appeared on Zugai, but he quickly shook it off. He leaped forward, bring Blitz's femur back for another swing. Blitz tried to bring Matilda up to block, forgetting that he needed it to keep himself up, and fell off balance. Zugai took advantage of this and bashed the femur into Blitz's chest, sending him into a nearby wall.

"You shouldn't underestimate me, pirate." Zugai growled as Blitz tried to pick him self up, though having trouble due to have the wind knocked out of him, "I fought pirates, tougher pirates that you, risking my life for this village. I have friends here who need my protection. I have gotten strong for them, stronger than you'll ever be." What he failed to notice was a small grin on Blitz's face.

"Stronger, maybe." Blitz said, fingering _Equalizer_ in his hand, "But not smarter." Quickly and swiftly, Blitz raised Equalizer and aimed at Zugai. "Pistol! Sonic Shot!" The shot rang out; a trail of blue rings in its wake. Zugai easily sidestepped the shot, not even grazing his hair.

"What was that?" Zugai chuckled, "You missed!" Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted through Zugai's head, followed quickly by nausea. He doubled over, vomiting on the ground. Zugai then felt a trikle going down the side of his face. Reaching up, he put his fingers in it and looked at the offender. Blood! 'But how?!' Zugai thought, 'He missed!'

"Actually, Zugai," Blitz said, groaning as he got up and limped over to him, "The Sonic Shot was made to make a high frequency of sound as it travels, penetrating the ear, making it more effective when shot _near_ the target rather than directly at him." Pulling on his ear, Blitz continued, "As a Bone guy, you must know about the three in the ear, the hammer, anvil, and stirrup. These bones react to vibrations in the air that enter in the ear, and convert them into electrical impulses sent to the brain. Sonic Shot over stimulates the three bones to overload the brain, causing nausea and disrupting coordination, as well as making your ears bleed. Now," Blitz then pointed _Equalizer_ at Zugai's head. Zugai expected Blitz to kill him, but instead, "put my leg back, would you kindly?"

Looking at his hands, Zugai remembered he still had Blitz's femur bone. Growling angrily, Zugai placed the bone back where it was, causing Blitz to grunt in pain. Swinging his leg back and forth to make sure it was working properly, Blitz holstered _Equalizer_ and _Matilda_ before kneeling next to the still downed Zugai.

"You know, Zugai. The village I lived at for the last few years also was frequently attacked by pirates. And like you, I too defended the village from them." Zugai looked at Blitz in surprised. "You? And you became a pirate, even though you saw what they do?" Blitz nodded, and got up. "Well to be honest, I was a pirate before I live in the village, but I was abandoned by the pirates I sailed with. Piracy is in my blood, and the dream of being Pirate King is in my heart." Turning, Blitz started to walk away, saying, "I didn't kill Pelgo, nor did Chris. But I won't leave until I find out who. This I promise, and I intend to keep my promises." Watching Blitz walk away, Zugai's gaze wandered to the ground.

'He was abandoned by pirates," he thought, 'Just like me……why does it sound like he's telling the truth, of his past…and of not killing Pelgo?'

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Undisclosed Location

A shadowed figure watched as a large metallic object was being fused by welding apparatuses. The room was very large, big enough to hold a ship, and the metallic object took up most of the room. Machines and monitors lined the walls, and various building tools were scattered about. Behind the figure was the only door in or out of the room, and it opened from the other side, another person walking in. The first did not turn around, but was aware to the entering.

"Is the town in chaos?" He asked in a neutral tone, continuing to watch what ever it was that was being built in front in him.

"Indeed it is, Lord Pelgo." the second said, revealing to be Dojang, "Every one is in search of the pirates, who are giving a grand chase. They are not noticing my partner Sir Card Shark moving about the city, placing the charges at the points thy specified. If thou art correct in thy calculation, then the people will not be able to escape thy judgment. Although," Dojang hesitated, not wanting to say the wrong thing, "art thou sure that the people are traitors to the Government as thou said? They seem good enough people…" But before he could finish, the man swiftly drew a pistol, and shot past Dojang's ear. Dojang froze, fearing to move an inch and earn the ire of the man in front of him.

"Do not question me, Dojang. I did not hire you mercenaries to ask questions." The man said, annoyance evident in his voice, "Now go back to the mansion, incase some one decides to inspect the body a little more closely." Dojang put his hand together and bowed respectfully, as the sparks of the welders lit up the man's face.

"As thy wishes, Lord Pelgo."

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Finis. Chapter done.

Sorry it took me like, two months to write this, but the end of school was coming up, as were homework deadlines and tests. I figured it was better to focus on my school work rather than fanfiction (I know, heresy and blasphemy) which is why I have not updated. Plus it took me a few days to get back into the groove of writing, and in non-persuasive essay form.

On another note, I'd also like readers to not only submit characters for the crew, but also for villains and temporary allies, I can't just think of them on my own, at least not easily.

Peace out—Nezumimaru.


	6. Upman Part 3

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

**Upman Part 3**

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Chris lifted her head out from behind the barrel she was hiding behind. Looking around, it seemed like no one was around. The townspeople were most likely searching for her elsewhere. Now would be a good time to go find Blitz and high tail it out of this town. But before she stood up, movement was noticed in the corner of her eye. Ducking back down, Chris peered around to see who it was. A man with red hair and a trench coat was carrying a large bag over his shoulder, giggling excitably as he jogged down the street.

"Four charges down, one ta go! Chances o' interception: 10%! 'Is has to be me easiest job yet!" she heard him say, letting out a good laugh. " 'Ese poor culchies 'ill never know wot hit 'em!" Chris knitted her eyebrows in confusion. What did he mean by charges? And what the hell is a culchie? Shrugging, Chris quietly followed the strange man, hoping to get some answers. If only she knew, eh?

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With Blitz

Walking calmly through the streets of Upman, Blitz headed to the large building set into a mountain near the center on the island, supposedly the Mayor's mansion and office, and the scene of the crime. The few villagers he came across were either too weak to capture him or failed to recognize him as a pirate. Possibly due to not everyone seeing his poster yet. Regardless, Blitz reached the mansion, a big shattered window on the top floor. Sighing, Blitz took out a small cylindrical object from a pouch and fastened it on to the side of his pistol. Attached to the cylinder was a length of cord, which in turn was attached to a claw. Blitz inserted the claw into _Equalizer_'s barrel and aimed at the roof, all the while looking bored and slightly annoyed.

"Pistol! Grapple Shot!" The claw shot out, whizzing through the air until it reached its target, the mansion siding just over the busted window. With a slight tug from Blitz, the cylinder started to reel back the cord, zipping Blitz up to the top floor. Swinging through the gap, Blitz landed amongst the broken glass. He then tugged on the cord, pulling back his grapple claw, retracted it back to the cylinder and put it back in his pouch. Surveying the scene, Blitz saw what appeared to be the result of a struggle. Books scattered all over, desk in disarray and a bloody body on the floor.

'Who ever set this up has no imagination.' Blitz thought, practically feeling the cliché-ness. Kneeling next to Pelgo's body, Blitz felt his pulse. He felt something odd, and knew what. Standing back up, Blitz aimed _Equalizer_…and shot the 'dead' body. The head exploded, showering bits of rock and clay about the room.

"Clay?" A voice said from behind Blitz. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Zugai climbing up the rest of the way through the window. Unseen just below the window on the outside, a large strange hand started to form from dust.

"Looks that way." Blitz answered, looking back at the clay replica, "A body shouldn't feel so hard to touch, even after full rigor mortis. Guess you guys have been conned." Suddenly, a strong tingling feeling shot up Blitz's spine. "Zugai! Get down!" he shouted, aiming _Equalizer_ towards him. Zugai, not fully understanding what was going on, rolled out of the way of the pistol shot. Were he once stood, Zugai saw a large tan hand being dispelled, from a bullet hole outward.

"Thou hast very good reflexes, young squire." A figure emerged from the door from the office, revealing the large man known as Dojang. "However, I very much doubt that thou wilt defeat me."

Blitz gave the man a quick once-over, before holstering _Equalizer_ and drawing _Matilda_. "Really, ist thou so confident?" Blitz mocked, "But seriously, you're obviously the guy that made the fake body, though I highly doubt that you were the brains behind all of this. Who you workin' for?" Dojang sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Ah, the youth of today, so cocky, so arrogant, and so disrespectful. Thou really should respect thy superiors." Dojang crouched into a fighting stance, "But yes, I may haft had a hand in this, and I, Dojang, wilt ensure that my employer's plan wilt be successful. That means that thou must be apprehended. And the noble ship-maker," Dojang nodded towards Zugai, "silenced. Now, En Garde!" He made a palm thrust towards Blitz, and from his outstretched hand, a ball of dirt and clay shot out. But before it hit Blitz, a large white axe split it in two, halting the attack. Zugai stood between the two men, ready to fight.

"Look pal," Zugai grunted, "I don't know what's going on, but you did some thing with the Mayor, and if you think I'm just going to sit by and let you get away with this, then you are sadly mistaken." Without looking over his shoulder, Zugai addressed Blitz. "Pirate, you came here to clear your name, I see that. How 'bout you look for the Mayor while I deal with this guy? My hunch is that he's still some where in the mansion, or else this guy wouldn't stick around." Blitz smirked, as he covertly snuck something from the desk into his one of his pouches.

"Really, Sherlock Holmes? You suspect that, huh? What tipped you off?" Zugai smirked back and replied, "Elementary, dear Watson. Now get out of here, I've got some fighting to do." Blitz ran past Zugai, giving him a two finger salute. Dojang attempted to block his path, but was stopped by Zugai. "Your fight is with me, old man." Zugai said, earning a large anime angry tick on Dojang's head. Or hat, what ever.

* * *

Back with Chris

Peering from behind a corner, Chris watched as the strange man she was following reach into his bag and extract a large, cinder block sized object, with wires protruding from all around it, and placing it near a building that had a large sign saying "Munitions and Gunpowder Storage: Please Don't Blow Us Up". Why a small port town like Upman had a gunpowder storage building was beyond her.

"Well, 'at outta do it!" the man said, "All charges set! Just need ta prime tis one and BLAMO! Up goes Upman! Irhahahahahahahahahaha!" Chris's eyes widened. If she was interpreting this man right, then those things are….bombs! He's going to blow up Upman!

"Stop right there, mister!" Chris shouted, jumping from her hiding spot. The sudden noise caused the man to jump several feet in the air before whirling around with a steel staff poised for combat.

"H-hey, I wa'n't doing not'ing! I was….hey, wai' a tic," he stopped, and inspected Chris a little further, then pointed a finger at her, "Yer one o' those pirate fellows, ain't ya! The one's we….er….th' townfolk are lookin' fa!" Chris gave him a deadpan look and crossed her arms.

"I saw you place that bomb and heard you talking to your self about blowing the town up." Chris said. The man froze in shock.

"Damn, Dojang always said I'd screw up 'venually wit me tinkin' outloud and all. Bbbbuuuuutttttt, oh well." He drew a trio playing cards from his coat, and as he held them up, they sparked with electricity. "Name's Card Shark, boyo. So, yeah, I was tinkin' about blowin' the place up, but I's can't have you ruin th' plan. Need it ta work 'n all ta get paid. Now me beatin' you? 60% chance. Beatin' you and getting' the charge primed in time? 'Bout 45%, but that's fine wit me." Card Shark suddenly threw the three cards like shuriken at Chris, each making a sharp whistling sound. "I like a little challenge, and lower th' chances, th' more I'm get pumped up, boyo!"

Chris skillfully dodged the three cards, but as they struck the wall behind her, they exploded in an electric frenzy. To say Chris was shock would be an understatement. But Card Shark just took it in stride. " 'At's me Devil Fruit power, The Fuju Fuju No Mi. Wit it, I's can power up me cards wit elemental energy. Lightin', Fire, Ice, Acid, you name it! It really ups me chances in battle." Chris frowned as she drew her Crescent Dagger. 'This guy,' she thought, 'Is a lot more skilled than those Marines back home, and more experienced. But I can't back down,' her grip tightened, 'if I do, then the people here are done for. Besides, this is my first real fight as an official pirate! I gotta make this count!' Jumping from one wall, Chris ricocheted and jumped at Card Shark, ready to strike with her blade.

Card Shark raised his staff to block the attack. Chris only smirked. Confused at first, Card Shark soon saw why as Chris' blade connected with his staff. The blade was slicing right through the metal staff like paper! Card Shark quickly jumped out of the way to avoid being cut. Inspecting his staff, it was cut clean in two.

"Surprised?" Chris asked, raising the Crescent Dagger to eye level, "This is the Crescent Dagger, edged with a diamond tip. Not only does it give a nice shine, but it also gives additional slicing and cutting power to my attacks, allowing me to cut through almost anything. Or at least give a good size scratch, any way." Upon hearing this, Card Shark was impressed, leading to laughter.

"Really know, is 'at so? Well, 'at changes the playin' field quite a bit, boyo. Drops me chances ta 'bout 40%." He then drew another card from his coat. "Wit me staff banjaxed, guess I'll have ta use me cards. 2 O' Flames!" Flinging the card, it burst into flames at it spun rapidly towards Chris. Chris anticipated this and did a handless cartwheel over the blazing card, Matrix style. However, while in mid-flip, Card Shark suddenly appeared in front of her, another card in hand. "5 O' Winds!" Thrusting the card into Chris's abdomen, a large gust of wind emitted from it, launching Chris into a building on the other side of the street.

"Unnngh." Chris moaned as she collected herself. As she held her head, she realized that the hand she was using was supposed to have her Crescent Dagger in it, but it didn't. Searching frantically around her, she saw that she had dropped it in the middle of the street. Just as she got to her feet to retrieve her signature weapon, Card Shark's foot stepped on top of it.

"Not so tough wit out ya little dagger, eh, boyo?" Card Shark teased, picking up said dagger and tossing it to the side. "Pair O' Lightnin'!" Two cards were thrown this time, arcing from different angles. Chris jumped and grabbed the edge of a window sill as the two cards collided where she once stood. A burst of electricity created from the collision almost reached Chris, who had to curl her legs up so as not to get hit.

"Wot's th' matta?" Card Shark crooned, "Can't fight back? Well, 'at just makes it easiya fa me! 7 O' Flames!" Another burning card came towards Chris. She let go of the window sill to avoid the attack, which was a good thing, considering that this card wasn't just burning. As it hit the window, it exploded violently.

'Damn.' thought Chris, seeing the large hole in the wall created by that last attack. 'The higher cards must be more powerful than the lower cards, leading to more powerful effects. Guess that makes sense, but none the less,' she glared at Card Shark and gritted her teeth, 'with out the Crescent Dagger, all I have is the Two-Sided Dagger, and that may not be enough to beat this guy. But I've got to try.' From her side, Chris drew the Two-Sided Dagger.

"Jaysus, how many daggers do ya got?" asked Card Shark. "Not 'at it matters, it ain't gonna matta in th' end! Three O' Kind: Ice!" Three cards lightly glowing blue softly billowing steam were thrown straight and true. Not really thinking, Chris swung hard. The longer blade cut clean though the cards, and got covered in frost. The cards lost their glow just after the blade cut them, and were then sliced again by the shorter blade, flittering into a pile at Chris's feet. Both combatants looked at the shredded card pieces, then at each other.

"Janey Mac……didn't tink 'at would happen!" Card Shark stated. Chris smirked and said, "Guess after the hit something, the cards lose their elemental power. Even then, they can still be cut, being just cards. Looks like I found you're weakness!" Card Shark just stood there, as if not sure what to do. Soon he started to fidget, and then sweating, and finally shaking to the point that Chris thought he was going to explode. But he didn't, but he did reach into his coat and draw two handfuls of cards. "52 Pick Up!" He began to throw the cards at Chris in rapid session, each glowing a different color. Freaking, Chris started to run, first to the other side of the street, but soon her path was block by a wall. She turned sharply, but the cards being thrown at her were getting to close. Seeing her chance, she used her speed and momentum to start running on the surface of the wall itself.

Chris ran along the wall, over and past Card Shark, who was still throwing cards wildly at her. Chris spotted her goal, the Crescent Dagger, and jumped off the wall, just as the spot exploded from a fire card. Chris combat rolled across the ground, picking up her dagger as she did, and leapt to her feet in on swift move. With both her daggers in hand, Chris was ready to block to all incoming cards. Card after card, slash after slash, Chris sliced and deflected everything Card Shark threw at her.

"Ya know," Chris said, as she continued to stand fast against Car Shark's onslaught, "I think you've gone past 52 cards."

"I don't care, ya bloomin' gurrier! I'm keepin' this up til ya wear out!" Card Shark barked back, continuing to hurl cards at Chris. "Now take this! Royal Chaos Flush!" Briefly stopping his barrage, Card Shark gathered five cards, three in one hand and two in the other, glowing yellow, green, red, blue and purple. These he threw so fast, Chris had no time to react, and she got hit by all five, causing a very large explosion.

"YES!!" shouted Card Shark, "Direct Hit! Chances o' getting up from that: 0.5 per—" Suddenly, from the thick billowing smoke, jumped out Chris, traveling mach speed towards Card Shark, her arms across her chest, daggers poised to strike. "—cent?" "NI—" "Oh, shykes…"

"GIRI!" Chris landed behind Card Shark, finished with her attack. A large X shaped slash was made on Card Shark's bare torso, and he collapsed to the ground, from his wounds and from exhaustion. Chris glanced over her shoulder at him. "Guess this is one gamble you lost." Card Shark chucked lightly.

"Guess so. And when the odds were in me favor, too. Guess you can't win 'em all, eh boyo?" Chris chuckled too, as she collapsed by a wall and leaned against it, breathing a little heavily.

'Hope Blitz is doing ok.' Chris thought, as she looked up at the sky. The soft clouds and calm blue sky soothed her.

* * *

With Zugai

Around the same time as Chris started her battle, Zugai started his showdown with the mammoth Dojang. Each was in a battle stance, barely moving an inch, awaiting the other to make a move first. A paper that was on a shelf above the two warriors was caught in a slight breeze, and fluttered off the shelf. The slight movement caused Zugai and Dojang to narrow their eyes. The paper slowing fluttered down, as either combatant stood, as if waiting for something, the rising tension could be felt by even the most simple of people. Just as the paper touched the ground, the two launched themselves at the other.

"Yochi Yochi Fist!"

"Honehakaisha Slash!"

Zugai's labrys connected with Dojang's fist, only his fist was covered in dirt and dust, doubling the hand in size and giving it a brown tone. The two struggled, trying to drive the other back.

"Thy axe," stated Dojang, "ist very strong, if it can contend with my Yochi Yochi Fist." Zugai grinned, obviously proud of his work getting complemented.

"Thank you," Zugai said, "all thanks to years of learning blacksmithing, and my own Devil Fruit powers, the Hone Hone No Mi. I take it that you your self are a Devil Fruit user?" Dojang nodded, before giving one last strong push, staggering Zugai of a split second. This allowed Dojang to leap away to the broken window, as several hands formed from the floor, seemingly made of clay.

"Indeed, my powers stem from the Yochi Yochi No Mi. This grants me the power to manipulate all that relate to earth, be it as mighty as boulders and rocks, or a minuscule as sand and dust." Dojang explained, as the clay hands formed fist and aimed themselves at Zugai. "Now witness my Yochi Yochi Avalanche Fist!" Upon the end of that sentence, the clay fists launched at Zugai at high speeds.

"Bone Splitter!" Zugai made an upward strike with his labrys, slashing through the oncoming fists. But as the fist shattered, he saw that Dojang was no longer where he was.

"Yochi Yochi Boulder Drop!" Looking up, Zugai saw Dojang falling directly on top of him, in the middle of delivering a heel drop covered with hardened rock. Acting fast, Zugai quickly rolled out of the way. Dojang's attack caused the floor where Zugai stood to collapse and break, making a sizable hole in the floor. Not stopping there, Dojang used the force to build up a powerful lunge, hitting a shocked Zugai with a stony elbow strike. "Yochi Yochi Elbow Spike!" This attack blasted Zugai out of the office, through the broken window and to the street elow.

"Ooooouch," groaned Zugai, rubbing his torso, "That hurt." 'Good thing I can control bone density, or I'd have a few broken ribs for sure!' As Zugai got to his feet, Dojang jumped from the office and landed on his feet in front of Zugai.

"Thou should not underestimate me, noble ship-maker." Dojang said, as he went back to his fighting stance. "For having larger frame dost not mean I am any slower in movement." Zugai tensed up, and he too got into a fighting stance.

'Ok, he's both stronger and faster than me, and his powers augment his strength. How do I beat this guy?' Zugai began to think over the last few attacks, trying to discern a pattern or weakness. But Dojang wan't going to give him any time.

"Yochi Yochi Golems!" Thrusting a palm into the ground, Dojang caused several human shaped stone beings to emerge, surrounding Zugai. Counting quickly, Zugai judged about five of them in all. And none of them seemed friendly. Before Zugai could get into a defensive position, all five golems attacked. Try as he might, Zugai could only block so many attacks, and several punches and kicks connected. Trying to weather the assault, Zugai noticed that Dojang was not amongst the golems.

'Just like how he stayed behind when he attacked with those clay fists……that's it!' Having found a strategy to use and enough of the golems, Zugai raised his axe high. "Bone Tremor!" Swining down with all his might, Zugai smashed the ground, causing a small earthquake and, as the stone golems lost their footing, crumbling from the massive vibrations. Zugai then swung Honehakaisha up and around, just in time to intercept an oncoming attack from Dojang. To say that Dojang was surprised to see his attack block was an understatement.

"I've noticed," Zugai started, "that when ever you use a powerful attack, you send a distraction at me. And that you only form the stone over your limbs after you start the attack. I reasoned that, due to the weight of stone and rock, you need a lot of force to move it regardless of how strong you are. Basic physics. So, in order to give yourself enough time to get your attack in motion, you got to make sure I don't interfere. Now that I know this, I'm not going to be caught unaware. So much for your cheap shots." Dojang frowned. Without being able to see his eyes, one could only guess that he was scowling.

"My attacks are anything but 'cheap'." Dojang said, "I fight with only the greatest of honor and respect." Jumping away from Zugai to create some distance, Dojang placed both him palms on the ground. "And now I will honor thee with my greatest technique, Yochi Yochi Giant Warrior." Suddenly, the very ground began to ripple and tremble, gathering to and over Dojang. Within moments, he was engulfed in rock, causing him to grow into a larger, stone form of himself, nearly 16 feet tall. Towering over the stunned Zugai, Dojang's voice boomed. "Thou shalt not defeat me now. None that have seen this form have. Yochi Yochi Giant Fist!" A large stone hand shot out towards Zugai, who barely had enough time to dodge. As he regained his footing, Zugai noticed how slowly Dojang lifted his stone fist from the crater he made. A plan formulated within Zugai's head.

"Here is another! Yochi Yochi Giant Fist!" Dojang attacked again, only this time, rather than rolling away, Zugai jumped on top of the stone hand, while throwing Honehakaisha into the air and running up the arm.

"What the devil?!" Dojang found himself in no way to protect himself from Zugai's attack.

"Honehakaisha Joker Roulette!" Zugai grabbed the still spinning labrys, and started to spin with it, becoming into a human buzz saw, aimed straight at the head of the stone warrior.

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death……" Dojang whispered to himself, as if saying this small prayer would protect him from harm. Zugai's attack buzzed straight through the stone, and did not stop spinning until his feet touched the ground. The stone started to crack, spreading throughout the body, until finally shattering and dropping Dojang to the ground, landing with a thud.

"Be thankful," Zugai said as he stood, not looking around, "that Joker Roulette only has a one in three chance in either missing, hitting or killing. You got lucky that you only got hit." From his position lying on the ground, Dojang gave a slight chuckle.

"Heh, Card Shark would love that attack, even if it killed him. If only since it dealt with chance." Dojang looked up at the sky, and said. "I accept defeat. Thou art a superior combatant."

"Yeah, that's good and all, but you still have a few things to answer for." Zugai said as he walked over to Dojang, and grabbed him by the collar. "Where's Mayor Pelgo? What have you done with him?!" Dojang looked at Zugai and sighed.

"I would tell, but thou would not like my answer any more than my silence." Dojang said gravely.

* * *

With Blitz

Blitz ran down a hall within the mansion, passing numerous doors. He seemed to be searching for something and was getting frustrated that he was not finding it.

"Oh come on!" Blitz shouted, skidding to a halt. "I've gone down three halls and two floors, and not one suspicious piece of furniture or decoration that seems like it would be a lever for a secret entrance! I mean," he then leaned on a pillar façade, "in a mansion this big and elaborate, there should be at least one secrete room or pass—" before he could finish that sentence, the part of the pillar he leaned against went into the wall, causing Blitz to stumble and fall over, and open a previously hidden door. Seeing the door, Blitz stood up in a flash, shouting "AH HA!"

Behind the door was a long, spiraling stair well. As Blitz descended, the walls became less and less like a mansion and more and more like a science laboratory. At the end of the stair well was yet another door, only this one was a lot bigger. Blitz used all he had to move the door and entered the room beyond. And was almost not expecting to see what lay within.

"You!" The figure that was there turned around revealing someone he almost didn't expect to see.

"Hello, pirate. You found me a lot sooner than I expected." Said Mayor Pelgo.

* * *

Chapter End.

AN: Yes, I know I haven't updated in half a year, but I just, I don't know, lost motivation. And now I got back into it. I have made an early New Years revolution: to actually work on my fanfiction and make updates more. So, yeah. Hope you liked the fight scenes and hopefully the next chapter will be of your satisfactory. Also, send in character forms and stuff, it'd be nice.

Signed, Nezumiamru.


	7. Upman Part 4

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Upman Part 4

* * *

Blitz stood in the hidden room, in front of him was a man who was dead at the start of the day, then abducted, and now apparently behind what ever conspiracy was at foot, Mayor Pelgo. Reaching for his pistol, Blitz tried to make sense of all that that has transpired.

"Trying to figure out why I did what I did?" Pelgo asked not moving from his spot. Blitz nodded, and Pelgo continued, "Well, none of it matters, you'll be dead anyway." Pelgo drew his pistol, firing a shot at our one eye hero. But this was easily telegraphed, and Blitz was able to fire a shot himself from _Equalizer_, hitting Pelgo's shot, the two bullets landing between the to, smashed and unsalvageable. "You are a pretty good shot, pirate." Pelgo scoffed, with venom in his voice. "Too good. Some sort of Devil Fruit, perhaps?"

"Just like everyone else who first meets me." Blitz said, still holding a bead on Pelgo. "I don't have a Devil Fruit power. Just a lot of skill and luck." Blitz then fired a few more shots, more to spook Pelgo than to hit him, but Pelgo took cover anyway, behind some sort of metal slab.

"Hmm, regardless, it seems that I will need more than my gun to kill you." Pelgo jumped up on an even larger metal object than the one he was hiding behind. Bright lights suddenly were brought on, revealing a humongous steel vehicle connected to four spider-like legs, like a crouching spider. Pelgo entered a pod that contained numerous controls, and it lifted up on a snake-like metal neck. A robotic female voice came from the steel monstrosity.

"Control Pod Movement: Online." A pair of gun muzzles appeared from the front of the pod. "Secondary Weapons: Online." Working a series of levers and wheels, Pelgo aimed the front of the pod, and the guns, at Blitz.

"Oh crap." Was all Blitz could say before Pelgo opened fired, letting loose a barrage of bullets. Blitz only had just enough time to dive behind a large slab of steel, crouching while bullets whizzed over him and ricocheted of the slab. Blitz cautiously reached over the slab with _Equalizer_ in hand, firing blindly. As he was firing, a stray bullet grazed his exposed hand.

"Gah!" Blitz hissed, recoiling his hand, almost dropping his pistol. Luckily, the wound was minor, and the pain should pass in a few moments. 'I gotta find an opening, or else I'll end up as Swiss cheese!' He thought, trying to get a look, but was unable to with out getting a face full of lead. And as if the heavens favored him, an opportunity presented itself.

"Secondary Weapons: Overheated." The mechanical female voice said, and the guns stopped firing with smoke billowing from the muzzles.

"WHAT!?" Pelgo yelled, banging the controls, "They never said anything about overheating!" As Pelgo fiddled with some levers, trying to get the guns to work again, Blitz took advantage of the situation and attacked.

"Pistol: Corrosive Shot!" A green bullet shaped glob shot out and struck one of the machine guns. As the glob stuck there, it started to melt the gun muzzle, rendering it ineffective.

"Damn you!" Pelgo cursed, as he continued to pull random levers, "Come on, work dammit! I paid top dollar for you!" As he said this, the smoke from the remaining gun stopped. Seeing that the flashing red bar that had been going stop as well, Pelgo grinned as he pulled another lever and the gun started to fire again.

Blitz was unable to get in another shot, but was able to get to a workbench that was closer to Pelgo and his machine. Rather than go all out like the first time, though, Pelgo was firing in short, controlled bursts, avoiding overheating. This trapped Blitz, with nowhere to run, and unable to get a shot in without being shot.

"Come out of hiding so I can kill you!" shouted Pelgo, aiming his remaining gun at the workbench Blitz hid behind. Going to Plan B, Blitz reached into his equipment pouch, taking out a small item.

"Ya know," Blitz said, as calmly as he could, "If you kill me, you won't have anyone to appreciate what ever scheme you brewed up. I mean, aside from that big guy and who ever else you hired." Pelgo raised an eyebrow, but soon started chuckling.

"Those two idiots? Hah! They were only told what they needed to hear. My plans, my goal is much more then they knew." Pelgo said, standing up in the pod. "All my life, I have seen many monstrosities in the world, freaks and filth walking about in broad day light, free and alive but does the Government to anything about it? NO! They allow these abominations to live among us, blighting this world." Pelgo gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Blitz used this time to stand up and look at Pelgo, holding the unknown item behind his back.

"They that are represents everything that mankind is not, that are like a plague against humanity. They that wish to subvert us, and corrupt us. They are freaks of nature that should not have the right to live." Pelgo looked at Blitz, eyes filled with hate. "I speak of the Okamas, the homosexuals, the fishmen, the monsters that think that they should have the same rights as us humans. They ones I pretended to befriend, just to be able to kill them all in one place. And most of all," Pelgo's eyes darkened, his body shaking with barely contained rage. "Those accursed Devil Fruit users!"

"They are the greatest freaks of all! They that have fallen to temptation of power from a single fruit. Just as the first humans were that caused them to be banished from paradise. They, like all the other abominations against nature, should die, so that the world may be pure again. A pure human world!!!" Now Pelgo was shouting as loud as he could, firmly believing what he spoke. However, Blitz was less than impressed.

"Geez, loud enough?" Blitz grumbled, pretending to clean his ear with his pinky finger, "I don't think the whole town heard you. Oh! Wait, I think they did." He paused, and revealed the item he had been hiding: A small Den-Den Mushi phone, with the speaker of the hook. A Den-Den Mushi that was all too familiar to Pelgo.

"W-wait, is that…?" Pelgo staggered, not believing what he was seeing.

"That's right!" Blitz answered, "This is the Den-Den Mushi from your office, the one you use to hold announcements over the PA system around town. Your secretary used it to announce your death, and now I've used it to expose you for the hater that you are!"

* * *

Within the town, all were stunned, too shocked to move or continue whatever they had been doing. Chris was staggering to her feet, with Card Shark lying on the ground not far from her, when the whole thing was sounded over the PA system.

Zugai was holding Dojang's collar, mere moment's after he had asked for answers from the larger man. He, of all the people in Upman, was the most shocked, and the most hurt.

"Pelgo?" Zugai said, not believing what he had heard, "He was going to kill us all? But, we trusted him. He…he took me in when I was abandoned here, letting me stay until I finished my ship. I trusted him…and he betrayed us all."

"I told thee that thou would not like the truth." Dojang, "But that villain's treachery is deeper than thy knows. He was using me and my companion, for his own evil ends."

"Blimey." Card Shark gasped, from where he and Chris were. "That dirty bloke was never goin' ta pay us. Since we's Devil Fruit users, 'e was goin' ta kill us wit the lot of ya." Groaning with pain, Card Shark look up at Chris, who had gotten to her feet. "Listen, boyo. You may have stopped me from primin' one o' the charges, but there're more, four more. Each are placed at th' edges of town, both to kill and keep th' people trapped 'ere. You gotta go get them before Pelgo decides to blow 'em up. 'Ere's a map showin' the spots." Card Shark reached into his trench coat and pulls out a small map of the town and hand it to Chris. "Remember, cut the red wire. That'll stop those bad boyos for good."

Chris nodded and sped off to disarm the first bomb, leaving Card Shark to collapse again in the middle of the street.

* * *

Blitz stood there, holding up the small snail contraption, feeling very proud of him self. Pelgo, on the other hand, was so taken back that his jaw had dropped to the dashboard.

"Now that the townsfolk can see your true colors, it will only be a matter of time before they storm the place looking for you. And rest assured, you won't like it when they do." Blitz smirked defiantly. Pelgo shook with anger and frustration.

"NO!!" Pelgo shouted, banging his fists on the dashboard, accidentally hitting a few buttons. "I wasn't supposed to be this way! I had it all planned perfectly!" Suddenly, a loud whirring sound could be heard from the pod, from the whole machine. The hole in the metal neck stopped leaking steam, life returning to the huge contraption, the pod lifting up once again.

"Control Pod Movement: Reactivated." The machine voice came on again, and two very large cannons emerged from the back of the spider-like body, while the four spider legs started to rise. "Main Body Movement: Online. Primary Weaponry: Online." Pelgo looked over his shoulder at the cannons, then back at Blitz. Now it was Pelgo who was smirking and Blitz who was stunned.

"Aw monkey shit…" Was all Blitz could say before……BOOM!!!!

The mansion was blown asunder, wood and debris flying through the air. Among the rubble was a miraculously alive Blitz, who landed quite painfully on top of a large piece of rubble, thankfully not one that would not cause lasting damage. From the smoking foundation of the mansion, the Pelgo and his…Doomsday Devise, lets call it…emerged, cannons armed and ready to lay waste to the town of Upman.

"Ooooowwwww." Blitz moaned as he got up, trying to rub his sore back. "That hurt. How about we DON'T do that again." From the corner of his eye, Blitz saw Zugai remove some wreckage from on top of him and Dojang, who was still on his back.

"Oi! Bonehead!" Blitz called out, grabbing Zugai's attention. "You still alive over there?"

"Yeah," Zugai nodded, then looking up at the Doomsday Device, which was even bigger than Dojang's Stone Warrior form. "So Pelgo's aiming to murder us, just because we're different?"

"Yup." Blitz answered, putting _Equalizer_ in its holster and drawing _Matilda_. "And unless you can't fight anymore, it's up to us to stop him." Zugai glanced over at him, and then gripped his labyrs.

"I'm game. So," Zugai examined their new opponent, trying to come up with a battle plan, "how do we stop it, exactly?"

"The old fashion way: Keep hitting it until it can't get back up." Blitz smirked.

"I like the old fashion way." Zugai smirked as well. But before they could do anything else, Pelgo open fired at the two, nearly hitting them and blasting them several feet away. Landing in a heap, Blitzz and Zugai looked at each other, each thinking the same thing.

"We need a different plan." They said simultaneously, before running behind some large rubble. Peering around to look at Pelgo, who was continuing to fire his cannon at various buildings, they tried to formulate a plan of action.

* * *

With Chris

About the same time Blitz and Zugai teamed up, Chris reached the first of the four bombs. It was placed behind a garbage can on the west side of town. Crouching down, Chris inspected the bomb. As she did, she realized she had her work cut out for her. Card Shark said to cut the red wire, only…….

"WHY ARE THERE THREE RED WIRES!!!?" Chris yelled, scaring off several birds from the area. Chris sighed out of frustration, bit none the less got to work trying to figure out which wire to cut.

* * *

Back with Blitz and Zugai

Blitz then noticed a serious flaw in the design in the construction of the Doomsday Device every time it fired from the cannons.

"Zugai," Blitz said, not taking his eyes off of Pelgo's machine, "I'm going to draw his attention. You try and get onto that thing's back from behind. You'll know what to do from there when it's time." Before Zugai could protest, Blitz ran out from cover, firing a shot at the control pod. It ricocheted off the steel pod with a loud clang. Pelgo noticed, and turned the pod towards Blitz, who fired another shot that grazed Pelgo's cheek, drawing blood. This PO'ed Pelgo to no end.

"Y-you little…!" Pelgo turned the whole machine to face Blitz, firing from both cannons at once. Blitz ran between the two shot, avoiding getting hit. He continued to fire at Pelgo, as Zugai ran around and behind the Doomsday Device. Jumping from a rubble pile to one of the legs, Zugai started to shimmy up the leg, trying not to be flung off as Pelgo moved the machine to get a better aim at Blitz.

As Zugai got to the top, he saw just what Blitz had seen: Every time the cannons where about to fire, the snake-neck would coil back, so that the neck and pod would not be accidentally hit by the cannon fire. Zugai crept next to the neck, waiting for the right time to strike.

A few minutes of dodging and warning shots, and Blitz soon found himself unable to run, rubble and debris blocking every path but the one towards Pelgo's Doomsday Device.

As if in slow motion, the control pod and reared back, signaling that Pelgo was about to fire. Blitz placed _Matilda_ on his back with one hand, it catching on the harness he wore and securing it in place. With his other hand, he detached _Dragon's Roar_ from the harness and resting it on his shoulder, aiming at the body of the Doomsday Device.

Just before the cannons fired, Zugai jumped and grabbed the neck. Using all his might and help from his Hone Hone No Mi, Zugai pulled the neck into the line of fire of the cannon. In almost synchronized motion, the cannon destroyed the neck of the machine, just as Blitz fire from his own cannon.

"Cannon: Ram Shot!" A large bolt of energy fired out, the front of which took the form of a large big-horn ram. It struck, and pierced right through, the body of the machine just as the neck exploded from the machine's own cannon, and Zugai fell from the machine to avoid the resulting blast. Pelgo and his Doomsday Device were defeated.

Blitz attached _Dragon's Roar_ back on his back harness and walked causally over to Zugai, who was attempting to get back up on his feet after landing, hard, on the pile of wreckage beneath him. Blitz reached out a hand for Zugai. Staring at the hand for the few seconds, Zugai took the hand and allowed Blitz to help him up. After he got up, rather than let go of each other's hand, they stood there of a second, then shook their hands.

"Thanks, Blitz." Zugai said, "Though, I want to know, where'd you get the idea to use the PA system to reveal Pelgo's plan?"

"I don't know." Blitz said, scratching the back of his head, "Read it in a manga somewhere."

A roar of cheers erupted from the undestroyed building surrounding the plaza. Turning to the noise, Blitz and Zugai saw most of the townsfolk, who apparently watched the fight from a safe distance. The people rushed forward, encircling the two to give them praise and thanks for saving them.

"Thank you for stopping him," one Okama man said, patting Blitz on the shoulder, "Sorry we tried to catch you. We thought you kill a man who loved us and our idea of acceptance. Guess we were wrong."

"Meh, it alright." Blitz shrugged it off, waving a dismissive hand. "Just so long as me and my first mate are compensated thoroughly." The crowd quieted for a moment, then gave a weak chuckle.

Unseen by the crowd, Pelgo came crawling out from the damaged control pod, his suit cut and dirty. Turning his head, he saw the crowd, congratulating the pirate and the bone freak.

'They think they've won, have they?' Pelgo mused, pulling out a cylinder with a button on it, 'Well they haven't yet! Once I press this button, the charges will go off. At least I might be able to kill a few of these freaks.' Slowly, making sure that no one has seen him yet, Pelgo pressed the button with his thumb…only for nothing to happen. No boom or other loud explosion.

'What the hell?' Pelgo press the button a few more times, trying to get it to work.

"Trying to activate these?" Hearing this, Pelgo looked up, and saw young Chris Hopkins standing over him, four charges slung over her shoulder. "Unfortunately for you, I managed to find them all and disarm them all. Looks like your back up plan flopped just as much as your first plan. Hey, fellas!" Chris called over to the others drawing their attentions. "What do you think we should do with this worthless bag of skin?"

The people of Upman instantly grew angering, simply mobbing the now former Mayor. Zugai himself pull Pelgo to his feet, and off them, by his collar.

"You bastard! Give us one good reason we shouldn't just kill you right here?" Zugai growled, gripping Pelgo's collar tightly, almost wanting to strangle the man on the spot. Pelgo, obviously scared for his life, still stifled a slight chortle.

"If you kill me, you will only prove me right. That you're all monsters." Pelgo hissed. Zugai's eyes narrowed, his grip loosened. Slowly he lowered Pelgo to the ground, the tips of toes just touching the stone pavement. That is when Blitz, who was inspecting the Doomsday Device, decided to speak up.

"Ya know," he began, "The kind of steel on this thing is pretty high grade. Not to mention the weaponry and mechanized voice, the price to get the stuff _and_ people to build it would have to be a good couple thousand, maybe even a million Bellies. Guess now we know where the money for the shipyard went." Anger returned to Zugai's eyes. His re-tightened his grip and lifted Pelgo higher.

"YOU'VE BEEN TAKING MONEY FROM THE SHIPYARD!?" Zugai bellowed, shaking Pelgo violently. "I could have finished my ship by now!" It took several men and fishmen to separate Zugai and Pelgo, if only to keep Zugai from making a very bloody mess.

Blitz laughed at the antics, crouching down to get a better look at the control pod. In his brief search, he found something that he wasn't expecting.

'This is…!' Blitz's eyes narrowed, a hint of anger glinting briefly. Chris appeared over his shoulder, though could not see what Blitz could see.

"What's up?" Chris asked, tossing the dead bombs on top of the pod.

"Nothing, Chris. Nothing at all." Blitz said calmly, standing up and walking away. Chris looked confused, but quickly shrugged it off and followed him. Had she looked in the pod, she would have seen what Blitz saw: A symbol in the shape of a purple bat, with a strange hypnotic eye in the center with alternating red and black rings.

* * *

In a remote location on the mountain, a small group of men in coveralls and mouth masks were in a small makeshift encampment. They had been watching the whole battle through binoculars. One man, who used much larger binoculars, put them down and picked up a receiver of a dog-sized Den-Den Mushi.

"Commander," the man said into the receiver, "The test phase is complete. The Blast Crawler has been defeated. All design strengths and flaws have been recorded. We will head to the rendezvous point shortly."

"Guut" said a voice on the other end, with a thick Transylvanian accent, "You vill meet up vith de Fourth Division. Dey are scouting some potential kidnapping victims. Stay vith dem until further notice."

"Yes sir. However," the man paused, unsure of how to proceed, "One of the people responsible for the defeat of the Blast Crawler, he is a pirate who has recently gotten a bounty, a small one, though." A strong scoff could be heard from the other end.

"Eet does not matter. The design iz only preliminary. I vould not be surprised if a handful of fishermen stopped it."

"B-but, sir," the man stuttered, not wanting to get on the other man's bad side, "The boy, he is one we know, here I'll snail-fax you his bounty poster." Grabbing said poster, the man reached over to a smaller Den-Den Mushi and fed it the paper. It's eyes lit up and made some beeping sounds before ejecting the paper. Silence lingered as the mysterious commander received a copy of the poster.

"Sir?" the man asked the commander, a little uncomfortable with the silence.

"I vill alert the master immediately. Do not engage, repeat do not engage. Any confrontation vill not end vell for any of you. Now go to the rendezvous NOW!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Back in town, a party was made both in thanks for Blitz and Chris for saving their town, and to apologize for their actions against the two. Blitz and Chris gave no effort to refuse the free food. They thoroughly enjoyed the hero's reception in their honor, knowing that it may a long time before they will get another. Though Chris was rather annoyed to learn that most of the people there, Zugai included, figured that she was a girl, and even more annoyed that they thought she was a crossdresser.

Near the end of the small celebration, Zugai asked the two to follow him to the shipyard, not saying what he wanted. As they arrived, he ushered them into the ship house, quite eager to show them what lay within.

And as they entered, they where greeted with a large galleon, bone white with a howling wolf figurehead. The craftsman ship was superb, unmatched with anything Blitz has seen. It was hard to believe that only one man made such an art piece.

"Say hello," Zugai said patting the side of the ship, "to the ship I have been working on my whole life. I've yet to give it a name, but I am sure one will come to me, now that I've finished it." Resting his hand on the hull, Zugai sighed. "I plan on using this ship to try and find the people who left me here, and to find out why. All that the townsfolk said was that they were pirates, heading out to the Grandline. That's my dream." Turing to the two pirates, he said "And you guys helped me finish it. With the bones from Pelgo, I finally finished the figurehead."

"Wait." Chris interrupted, a little grossed out. "You said bones. You mean that…"

"Yep." Zugai said proudly, "With my Devil Fruit power, I've been collecting bones to use in the making of my ship. It's 100% bone." Chris went slack-jawed with disgust, while Blitz was most impressed.

"Made of completely bones, huh?" Blitz muttered, when an idea came to him. "Well this is a fine vessel." He said, placing his hands on his hips. "Tell you what, Zugai. I'll give you an option. Either you can join my crew and let us use this ship…" he smirked, and gave Zugai a mischievous look, "or I can just take it from you. Your choice."

"You are not taking my ship!" Zugai shouted, raising a threatening fist.

"So you'll join?" Blitz asked smugly, reaching out with a hand. Zugai raised an eyebrow, then, verily slowly, took Blitz's hand and shook it. "Welcome aboard, shipwright."

"I should b saying that to you. It's my ship after all." Zugai pointed out, releasing the shake.

"Not any more, it isn't!" Blitz said before turning on his heel. "Alright! We gather supplies from town and head out with the tide!"

"Hey, wait!" Zugai called, but Blitz had left the building already. Slouching lightly, Zugai turned to Chris and said, "What have I gotten myself into?" All she could do is shrug in a nonchalant fashion.

* * *

Chapter End.

Took a while longer than I had thought, but at least it was faster than my last update, right?

Anywho, rather weak plot, but what ever. But I liked it. And who are the mysterious people behind the construction of the Blast Crawler? Only time with tell!

Anyway, read and review!

Signed, Nezumimaru


	8. Trials Part 1

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 1

* * *

"There! Finished!" Chris sighed, quite proud of her work. She was currently kneeling on the deck of the crew's new ship, its name still under debate, which Blitz and Zugai had started an hour or so ago. When they began, Chris figured they be at it for a while, so decided to use the time to work on the flag. It lay out before her finished, with two crossing rifles instead of bones, and an eye patch on the left eye of the skull, while the right eye and the mouth had a mischievous look to them. Chris herself had various paint marks on her face, hands, and clothes, but she did not seem to mind.

"Rather good, I might say." Chris mused to herself. Suddenly, a thought came to mind, and a loud groan escaped her lips. "Damn it! Now I'm going to have write Grandma an apology. I told her I'd never need to learn how to paint!" As Chris grumbled, she turned towards the bow of the ship, where Blitz and Zugai were arguing over the name of the ship.

"Howling Wolf!" Was the name Blitz wanted, and had at this point drawn _Equalizer, _either in an attempt to threaten Zugai, or out incase the argument turned in to a all out fight.

"Ivory Moon!" Was Zugai's choice, and he had brought out Honehakaisha for the same reasons.

"The name Howling Wolf is cooler, able to strike fear in the hearts of men."

"But it only depicts the figurehead, and says nothing about the rest of the ship, ignoring my work and skill!"

"But Ivory Moon sound girly!"

"HEY!" Chris shouted, not at all appreciating Blitz's latest remark. Both men turn their head to face Chris, all three sporting scowls.

"Well it does." Blitz said with a pout. He and Zugai turned back to each other, glaring. Several seconds past with no movement, not even so much as a blink. It was Zugai who decided to break the silence.

"Compromise: Howling Ivory." Zugai said, not changing his facial expression.

"Howling Moon." Blitz shot back without missing a beat.

"Deal." The two shook hands and put their weapons back into their holders. "OK!" Blitz said, pumping his fist in the air. "This ship shall now be forever known as the Howling Moon; ship of the Battle Master Pirates!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Zugai said, shaking his hands in front of him. "Who says that we're going to be called that? I mean, naming the crew after your self is kinda, I don't know, narcissistic?" Zugai cross his arms, waiting for Blitz to answer. Blitz placed a hand on his chin, thinking of a good refute.

"Well," Blitz said, "many of the best pirate crews are named after the captain's name or moniker, such as the Roger, Strawhat, Red-Hair, and Whitebeard pirates. So it's more for a good luck kinda thing than anything else. Besides," Blitz gave a prideful smirk, "I am the captain, so I should be able to name my crew what ever I please."

"Our 'humble' captain aside," Chris joined in, causing Blitz to growl at the sarcasm, "The name fits with our new pirate flag." Holding said flag up for the others to see, Chris couldn't help but smile when Blitz and Zugai nodded their approval.

This smile didn't last, however, as from behind her, a large beast rose from the waters, en-shadowing Chris with its form. Slowly turning around, face frozen in alarm, Chris saw that the thing behind her was a very big sea serpent, roaring a ferocious roar. The serpent lunged forward, intent on making Chris its next meal. Chris didn't have time even to blink.

"Cannon: Puncture Shot!" A lightning fast cannon ball blasted through the head of the giant serpent, splattering blood over the ship, Chris, the flag. The remaining upper part of the body flopped on the deck, the rest still in the water. Blitz place the smoking cannon back on his harness, and started to run his fingers through his hair, expecting praise from his crew. Instead…

"Bastard! You made bloody mess all over my ship!" Zugai yelled at him, nearly knocking Blitz over with shear volume.

"Jerk! You nearly got me crushed! And you got my flag all bloody!" Chris shouted as well, aiding Zugai in almost knocking over Blitz just by shouting at him.

"First of all," Blitz said calmly, cleaning out his ear with his pinky, "OUR ship and OUR flag. Second of all, you're welcome Red, for saving your sorry ass from being digested. And thirdly, the blood just adds badass-ness to the flag." Looking the serpent over, he added, "Chris, help me cut and preserve the meat. Zugai, use the bones to make us a grill ASAP so we can barbeque this sucker." Chris and Zugai grumbled a "Yes", disliking the fact that their captain had dismissively insulted both of their works.

But before they could get to work, a large blue orb busted out of the remains of the serpent's head, from the region of the esophagus. The orb appeared to be made of water, flowing up and down the circumference of the orb. The three pirates stood, not knowing what was before them, and unsure what they should do.

"Zugai, poke it with your axe." Blitz ordered, drawing _Matilda_ incase something hostile jumped out. Zugai glanced at him, not liking being 'volunteered' for this. "I got your back." Shaking his head, Zugai slowly and steadily crept towards the large orb, reaching his axe as far as he could.

Just as the blade grazed the surface of the blue orb, it burst, sending water every where. All three of them jumped a foot back, trying not to get splattered. Where the orb once was knelt a man of about 16 years, with dark, spiky brown hair with a black headband holding it back sporting a skull with a white arrow cross the left eye. He also wore an unbuttoned orange short sleeve jacket, exposing his chest and abdomen, blue cargo shorts, and sandals on his feet. Lifting his head, the man gave a warm smile, a look of relief on his face.

"Thanks for helping me." He said, "Didn't know how much longer that barrier was going to last. Name's Jinketsu Namura, but you can just call me Jin." The three pirates stood dumbfounded, not believing this guy, who had just came out of a dead sea serpent's throat and looked as happy-go-lucky as if he was on a pleasure cruise. Though this awkward silence was ended by the loud CRACK of _Matilda_ firing. Jin's head exploded, his body falling limp to the bone deck.

The looks of dumbfoundment on the faces of Chris and Zugai soon turned to astonish as they turned to face Blitz, who held his rifle in place, smoke billowing from the muzzle. Blitz showed a sort of contentment as he lowered _Matilda_ and shifted his feet.

"What the hell, Blitz!?" roared Chris, as she and Zugai bashed the back of Blitz's head. "You just killed that guy! After he just got free from being eaten!"

"Oh come on!" Blitz whined, holding his head, "The guy was obviously delusional. No one could come out of that and act so happy! I did him a favor by putting him out of his misery!"

But before Chris could counter, Jin's headless body sat up, startling all three around it. As the body stood, water flowed up it and formed Jin's head, coloring and all, and he looked totally PO'ed.

"Who shot me?! What gives!" he shouted, glaring at the three pirates. Instantly Chris and Zugai pointed at Blitz, who tried to point at Zugai. Seeing that his first mate and shipwright had turned on him, Blitz sighed and stepped forward.

"That was me. Sorry about that, Jen…"

"Jin." Jin corrected.

"Whatever. Anyway, it seems that you're fine." Looking Jin up and down, Blitz noticed that he was not harmed in any way, not from being eaten or from the recent gunshot. "Let me guess, Devil Fruit, Logia type?" Jin nodded, seemingly forgetting that Blitz had just shot him.

"Yep, the Mizu Mizu No Mi," Jin said proudly, crossing his arms, "It turned my body into water. And gives me some ability to control water. I was using my ability to surf on the water to relax after working on my maps, when that Lord of the Coast tried to eat me. Luckily I was able to put up a water barrier to keep my self from being swallowed completely." Chris and Zugai nodded, now understanding the situation. Blitz looked intrigued.

"Maps? You're a cartographer?" asked Blitz. His two companions raised their eyebrows, knowing full well what Blitz was asking.

"Oh, I'm more than just a cartographer," Jin said, grinning proudly, "I'm a navigator. Aiming to be the best there is. I'm even working on a world map, better than that of 'Cat Burglar' Nami." Scratching his head sheepishly, he added, "At least I hope it will be." Hearing this, Blitz rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before an idea came to him.

"Group Huddle!" Blitz shouted, before he, Zugai, and Chris formed a small circle some distance away from Jin, arms on each other's shoulders.

"We going to ask him to join?" Chris asked with a hint of eagerness in her voice. "We could use a skilled navigator if we want to get through the Grandline."

"We do." Answered Blitz, "But we don't know just how good this guy is at making maps or navigating." Zugai gave a slight grunt of acknowledgment.

"That's right. For all we know, his 'maps' could be 2-Grader crayon doodling. We need to make sure he is really as good as he says he is." Zugai explained. Blitz and Chris nodded.

"So what we'll do," said Blitz, "is have him show his maps, and is they are any good, we'll ask him to join. But if his navigation skills aren't as good as his mapping, he's going over board. Understood?" Chris and Zugai nodded and they broke the huddle.

"Say, Jen…" Blitz began.

"Jin."

"Whatever. We'd like to see these maps of yours. After all, what good are they if no one can see them?" Blitz finished, trying to sound as sincere and innocent as possible. Not that Jin seemed to notice, or even care.

"Sure, I can show you." Jin said, "But we need to go back to my camp. I think the island it's on is…." Jin looked around, tested the wind direction and position of the sun. "Starboard!" He pointed in a northern direction, to the right side of the ship. The Battle Master Pirates looked in the direction he was pointing, and saw a small black dot in the distance.

"Hey! An island!" exclaimed Blitz, who was surprised not to have noticed it before.

"You guys must not have a navigator, or else you would have know that there was an island over there." Said Jin, before looking at the flag the Chris was still holding. "Pirates?"

"Yup. Got a problem with that?" Chris asked.

"Nope. Just don't rob me." Jin joked, laughing a bit.

"No promises." Blitz said, giving an authorities wave of his hand. "Ok, Chris, turn the ship. We're heading to that, island. And…" Looking back at the dead serpent that was still oozing blood on the ship, he said, "Zugai, help me get as much meat as we can. Could you give us a hand, Jen?"

"Jin!"

"Whatever."

* * *

About and hour and a half later, the Battle Master Pirates and Jin set anchor at the island where Jin made camp on the beach. The island was a very large one, several miles, by Blitz's estimate, and was majorly jungle.

Upon landing, the four travelers could see, Jin's camp. Or what was left of it. The camp was in shambles. Jin, Zugai, and Blitz went to while Chris was left behind to finish rigging the sails.

"What happened here?!" Jin exclaimed, running about trying to find his things. All that remained was a broken lean-to, a smoldering fire, a lot of wood chips, and several empty traveling bags. "Some one took my maps!"

"And the rest of your stuff, if case you're worried." Zugai said deadpan. He shouldered Honehakaisha, expecting who ever raided Jin's camp was still around. Blitz knelt down, studying a group of bizarre footprints in the sand.

The footprints were slightly larger than that of an average human, and webbed. Yet they were not the feet of Fishmen, as they only had four toes, and they were spread out wide. This puzzled Blitz, because the prints almost looked…lizard-like.

Suddenly, a multitude of shadowy figures leapt out from the jungle tree-line, faster than any human being. Blitz raised his head just in time to see one of the figures swing some sort of club at him. Swiftly, Blitz brought up his Bowie Knife, blocking the attack. However, he was not fast enough to react to three other figures surround him, beating and restraining him.

"Blitz!" Zugai then noticed his captain's peril, and tried to move in to save him. But several other figures surrounded him as well. Though he resisted, he too was quickly restrained.

"—the hell?" Was all Jin could manage before, he too, was overrun. The swiftness and speed of the attack gave Jin no time to put his guard up, and fell victim just as Zugai and Blitz were. However, just as the three were being tied down, who decides to show up, but Chris.

"Thanks for helping with the rigging, guys!" Chris shouted sarcastically as she climbed down the ladder to the shore, unaware of the situation behind her. "I had _no problem_ doing it by myself!" Finally turning to face who she assumed were her team, she instead saw a very frightening scene.

Blitz, Zugai, and Jin had been pin downed by a group of huge, human shaped lizards! Each varied in appearance, but they all shared similar characteristics; along with green scaly skin with white scaly chests and abdomens, they had very broad shoulders, black reptilian eyes, long claws, sharp teeth, and four webbed toes. Each was wearing only brown hide loincloths, though some had a varied number of leather straps and buckles over their chests, some had pouches on belts. Each lizard-man also had sort of frill on top of their heads, some had one, others had two or three. The frills made it look like they had Mohawks, of sorts. What concerned Chris the most were the clubs, spears and stone axes that the lizard-men carried.

"Chris run!" shouted Zugai, who struggled to get free.

"Aeon!" the largest lizard-man, apparently the leader, barked to one the others. This one had a red frill, as apposed to the greenish-blue the others had. His shoulders were not as wide, and his scales were a darker shade of green. "Capture!" The lizard-man, Aeon, dashed towards Chris, faster than she expected. Chris drew her Crescent Dagger, hoping to block the lizard-man's axe. However, the blow never came.

Chris, who had shut her eyes, opened them very slowly when she did not feel the weight of an attack on her blade. The lizard-man Aeon was standing over her, taller by at least a foot and a half, with is axe raised above him, stopped in mid-swing. He leaned forward to an inch within Chris's face and…sniffed, a few times, then stepping away from her, lowering his axe.

"Aeon!" Shouted the leading lizard-man angrily, "Beat and capture!" Aeon turned around to face his leader, a sort of puzzlement on his face.

"But, Squad Boss," Aeon said, a little higher pitched than his leader, indicating a younger age, "He's a she." Aeon pointed at Chris as he said this, shocking her and Jin both.

"Wait, Chris's a girl?" Jin looked over to where Blitz and Zugai were pinned, both of them nodding their heads. "Wow, who da thunk." Squad Boss, ever, didn't really care.

"He, she, don't matter for prey!" Squad Boss barked, waving his large spear, "Beat and capture!" Aeon's face changed from puzzlement to that of appall.

"But Aeon can't hit _shes_," he said, "That not nice." At that, all other lizard-men plus Chris faceplanted in a comedic fashion, while Blitz, Jin, and Zugai sweatdropped.

'He won't hit her…just because Chris is a girl?' The three guys thought at the same time.

"Bah! Someone else do it!" Squad Boss ordered as he got back to his feet. Two other lizard-men grabbed Chris by either arm, causing distress in the young pirate. "Take them to village! To King Trogdor!" The other lizard-men chanted "To King Trogdor!" before carrying out their orders, leading the four humans into the jungle.

* * *

The group traveled for several minutes, over logs and rocks and under branches and fallen trees. They stayed in a single filed line, with the pirates plus Jin in the middle. The four had their hand tied behind them with rope, and these ropes were connected to one another, and held by the lizard-men that were directly in front and behind them

"Pst, Jen." Blitz, in the front, whispered to Jin, who was behind Zugai and in front of Chris.

"Jin"

"Whatever. Can't you just turn your wrists to water and slip out? It's not like these guys can really harm you, what with your body being made of water and all."

"I thought about doing that," Jin whispered back, 'but these guys might have my maps, so if we play it cool…"

"They show us where they live, we snag the maps back and bust our way out." Chris finished, catching on to Jin's plan.

"Quiet prey! Prey no talk!" snarled the lizard-man behind them, giving Chris a push. Chris collided with Jin who in turn bumped into Zugai, though due to his size, wasn't pushed forward at all.

A few minutes later, the group arrived at a very large wooden wall, easily three stories high. The Squad Boss emitted a loud, high pitched screech, nearly rupturing the ears of the four humans. With a loud grind, a section of the wall split, opening outwards, revealing a gate. It opened up enough for the group to pass through one-bye-one.

As the pirates and Jin entered, they saw various tree-houses and huts on the ground. Ramps and rope bridges connected each hut and tree-house together. Lizard-men warriors were scattered throughout the village, each keeping an eye on the humans. What was strange to Blitz was that, though they called this place a village, it was more like a large outpost. There were no female lizard-people, no children.

'What is this place?' Blitz thought, as the lizard-men slowly broke rank. Soon, only the Squad Boss, Aeon, and two other lizard-men continued to lead them. Aeon walked along side the four, ensuring that they did not run.

"Why are there so many soldiers? And where are the women and children?" asked Chris, who had made the same observations as Blitz.

"Protect village," answered Aeon, still looking ahead, "and train. Get stronger. Shes and little ones get in way. They stay in tunnels under village." Chris stared at Aeon, not sure how to take that.

The lizard-men continued to lead them to a very large structure. It almost looked like a primitive castle, and was the only building within the 'village' that contained stone in its architecture, other than wood and vine. He and the others were lead inside, down a large, torch lit corridor adorned with furs and hides. At the end of the corridor was a set of large double doors. Guards at either side of the doors opened them, allowing the group to walk in. Inside was a large throne room, adorned similarly to the corridor, only the room also contained pictographs and runes. What they meant, Blitz didn't know. The throne was set on top a series of stone steps, and red drapes hung above it.

Atop the throne was the largest lizard-man yet, had he been standing he would have easily stood 12 feet tall. He had a gold-colored frill one foot in length; shoulders the width of four men and a body proportionate to it. He wore a full fur toga, with fur-lined leather bracers on his thick wrists and ankles.

His yellow eyes fell upon the four humans, and he grinned a large, fang filled grin. He leaned forward, resting an arm on he knee.

"Ah! Squad Boss Mugiu!" the massive lizard-man boomed, his voice deep as a well and sinister enough to make milk curdle, "Brought back some fresh meat, have you? No less expected from my second in command." The quartet was surprised to hear this lizard-man speak with actual sentences, rather than the chopped and hacked ones the other lizard-men used.

"King." Mugiu pounded his chest once and knelt on one knee. "Found prey by water. At camp where pretty papers were. Now yours, do what will."

"Excellent!" The lizard-man exclaimed, rising to his feet, "Humans! You now stand before King Trogdor! King of Lizard-Kind! I now control your fates!"

* * *

Chapter End

DUN DUN DUN! Suspense! What will happen to our hero's now? Keep an eye out for the next chapter to find out! Oh, and Jinketsu "Jin" Namura is the creation of **Alter Shead**.

Signed--Nezumimaru. Happy Holidays to all!

PS: Did I use kind of plot too soon?

PSS: Forgot the roster update last chapter:

Captain: Blitz

First Mate: Chris Hopkins

Shipwright: Zugai


	9. Trials Part 2

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 2

AN: Haven't been doing this, but whatever; I do not own One Piece. An OCs in this story that are not mine will have their creator's name at the bottom.

* * *

Blitz and company stood ready, waiting for their moment to break their bonds and fight their way out. Just as soon as the 12 foot Godzilla known as King Trogdor was no where near. But even still, his words, "I now control your fates", were a little discontenting.

"Uh, really?" Blitz said, putting up a brave front, "Controlling our fates? How about controlling it in a way that involves us living and leaving?"

"With my maps?" Jin added, sounding hopeful.

"_Your _maps?" Trogdor inquired, rising from his throne, his thick lizard tail swishing behind him.

'Tail?' Zugai just noticed it, as well as the lizard-like snout Trogdor had. Looking around at the others, he noticed that they also had snouts and thick tails as well. Zugai mentally slapped himself for not noticing before.

Trogdor got very close to Jin, his snout inches from his face, and sniffed him just as Aeon did to Chris not twenty minutes ago. "Yes, your scent was on the maps my men found earlier." Standing back up at full height, he continued, "We seem to be at a delema, as I do not wish to part with the maps, having plans involving them, and I see no reason to keep any of you alive. Wait…" pausing to scratch the underside of his snout, Trogdor said, "Scratch that; I _may_ have some use for you…"

Before he could say what, a door from the side of the room opened, revealing a small lizard-man, not even as tall as Chris or Jin, wearing a fur loincloth and a black suit coat. This interruption annoyed Trogdor to no end.

"What do you want, Squawk?" Trogdor snapped, causing the small lizard-man to flinch in fright.

"B-big sorry, Lizard King, b-but Squawk come to say t-that night food be ready in hour." The lizard-man stuttered, bowing awkwardly. Trogdor snorted rudely. Rubbing his gold frill, he turned to the four humans before him.

"Well it appears that dinner will soon be ready. Why don't you join me later as my guests of honor, so that I may give you my…proposition, then?" Trogdor asked, earning some suspicious looks from the pirates, and Jin. As they looked at each other, they gave each other nods, before nodding to Trogdor.

"Yeah, we'll be your guest, Trogdor." Blitz said, speaking for his fellow captives.

"Excellent!" Trogdor said before going snout-to-face with Blitz, "And when you are in my presence, you WILL refer to me as King Trogdor or Lizard King. Is that clear, human?" Blitz did not flinch and looked Trogdor straight in the eye.

"Transparently." Blitz snorted, not backing down from Trogdor an inch.

"You have spirit, human, I will give you that." Said Trogdor as he stared back at Blitz. "Aeon! Bring these humans to a guest quarters, and I don't mean the dungeon this time." Aeon saluted briefly, then yanked the rope connecting the four together.

"Come-come prey, this way." Aeon ordered, yanking the rope again and urging Blitz and crew to move. The four reluctantly started to move, following Aeon down a corridor off to the side of the throne room. As soon as they left the room, Trogdor spoke to Squawk.

"Ensure they do not escape, runt. I have plans for them." Squawk nodded quickly, then set off after the four humans. "Whither or not they comply, I will gain the knowledge of humans that I seek. It will make conquering them all the more easier."

* * *

Several minutes has past, as Blitz, Chris, Zugai, and Jin waited in the room Aeon brought them to, their weapons resting next to Aeon. Aeon himself sat cross-legged in the door way, not taking his eyes off the four. Blitz lay on a bed that was in the room, relaxing and resting his eyes. Zugai sat at the foot of the bed, resting his head in his hand and tapping his other hand on his knee. Chris sat in a big chair on the opposite wall as the bed, swinging her legs absentmindedly, as Jin leaned against the wall opposite the door, peering out a window. Silence filled the room, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Until Chris broke it.

"Say, Aeon," she asked, glancing over at the lizard-man, "What's the story about you lizard-men. I mean, I never heard of anything like you guys, or even thought existed." Zugai and Jin glanced at her, not understanding why she was asking. Blitz made no visible response; it was almost as if he was asleep.

"Lizard-men live in secret." Aeon said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, "Many years ago, Aeon's kind live with others, in peace. Then humans build monster weapons, Super-Weapons, and destroy all in path. Ancestors survive, fleeing to island, hiding for ages. And hid we have.

We hide from world, fearing Super-Weapons and power they wield. Even when humans who come here by storm say Super-Weapons are no more, we still hide. We no more want to do with outside world." Aeon then opened his eyes, an ominous look within them, "Until Trogdor became King."

Suddenly, a loud squawking sound could be heard from down the stone and wood corridor. The lizard-man Squawk poked his head into the room, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Night food ready, humans." Squawk squawked, "Follow me." He retracted his head from the room. Aeon stood and waited for the humans to go first. Zugai smacked Blitz's leg, causing Blitz to sit up with a snort. Rolling reluctantly out of the bed, Blitz was the last to leave to room and grab his guns, yawning long and hard. As he past Aeon, he gave him a quick pat on the shoulder, confusing Aeon with the gesture.

* * *

Arriving at the dinning hall, Zugai, Chris and Jin gawked at the sight, though Blitz acted like he had seen all this before. The room was the largest any of them has ever seen. Zugai could even swear he could fit the whole of the Howling Moon in the room it was so big. The walls were decorated with furs, hides and various tribal like pictures, along with several torches to grant light. In the center of the room was a large and long dinning table, with numerous dishes ranging from jungle fruits and vegetation to a wagon size roasted boar with a proportionally sized apple in its mouth. Half the table wasn't used, and only five chairs were place, near one of the ends spaced five feet apart. At the end was the largest of the five chairs, a mighty throne made of bones, and seated on it was none other than Trodgor himself.

"Come, humans. Dinner awaits." Trogdor said, trying to sound inviting, though his 'guests' could tell it was forced. Not that any of them cared, as they zipped to their seats, Chris seated herself in a chair to Trogdor's right with Zugai sitting next to her. Jin sat at the chair to Trogdor's left, with Blitz sitting next to him. With Trogdor's approval, the four started to dig in, Blitz and Zugai going straight for the meat while Jin and Chris started with the fruits. Trogdor himself, however, did not join the eating, simply sat there with his clawed hands folded him front of him and observing the humans.

"What are you waiting for?" Chris asked, biting into a large pear shaped fruit, "This is your food, so why aren't you eating?" Trogdor chuckled a deep, reptilian chuckle.

"I am more interested in learning more about you humans. Your ways and such." Leaning on his hands, Trogdor continued, "Very few humans arrive to this island alive, and those who do are too disoriented, injured or ill to converse much, or are kill by my men when they fight back. What I want to learn…" Trogdor voice and appearance both grew darker, a threatening aura surrounding him, "is the strengths and weakness of humans, physically and mentally." Chris, Jin and Zugai stopped eating, a look of unease in their faces. Blitz, however continued eating.

"Ish that all?" Blitz said with a mouth full of roast, "You don't need ush, you jusht need to get the daily newshpaper." He swallowed before continuing, "That alone can teach you more about people than you care to know." Blitz continued eating, ignoring the stares of disbelief he was getting from the others.

"Regardless," Trogdor stated, "I would like to know your view about your kind. It would be a great benefit to me."

"Sorry, no can do." Blitz said, shaking his head while getting up for his seat. "Now that we clarified that, if you could just give us Jen's maps back…"

"Jin."

"Whatever, we'll be on our way." Greatly displeased with this turn of events, Trogdor stood straight up, causing Jin, Chris and Zugai to leap to their feet, the latter two drawing their weapons.

"I believe you misunderstand me, _human_." Trogdor growled, looking as menacing as ever, "I wasn't asking for your information. I was DEMANDING IT!" after ending his sentence with such a shout, several lizard-men poured into the room, spear in hand and pointing them the four humans, ready to defend their king. Aeon, who was standing at the door they came in, did not join his kin, rather looked from each person in the room nervously.

"Now human, you will tell me every thing I want to know about your kind!" Trogdor snarled, "Or I will have you under go great tortures and pains until you do give me what I want."

"Don't think so." Blitz scoffed, quick drawing _Equalizer_ and drawing a bead on Trogdor. The lizard-men gripped their spears tightly, ready to fight. Acting instinctually, Trgodor grabbed the first thing that came to mind: Chris. He seized her, his hand gripping around her waist, and lifted her in front of him, putting her in-between him and Blitz.

"Chris!" Zugai yelped, stepping up on the table, ready to leap on the goliath lizard to save her. Only he couldn't as he soon found himself facing a number of spears, each pointing at his face.

"Put her down, Trogdor." Blitz said threatenly, squeezing his trigger, "Let Chris go, give us the maps, and we'll leave here with out any trouble. Other wise, there will be bloodshed." Zugai and Jin nodded affirmably, each getting into a fighting stance.

"Who are you to make demands?" Trogdor barked, tightening his grip on Chris, who shrieked in pain as she struggled to get free. "I have the girl, the maps and outnumber you 5 to 1! I have all the cards, and you have nothing to bargain with!"

"I got a bullet with you name on it, does that count?" Blitz countered.

"Do you really think you can hit me in a vital place, when they are either covered with iron hard scales or behind this girl's soft flesh?" Trogdor questioned, raising Chris to face level. "Because unless you want to kill your friend, I doubt you will fire a shot. However," Trogdor grinned evilly, "I may have a way to end this in a way that will satisfy all parties." Blitz narrowed his eyes, not liking the tone Trogdor just had.

"What did you have in mind?" Blitz asked, not lowering his pistol or even shifting his feet.

"Here on the island, we have a set of three trials that a lizard-man must go through to prove he is powerful enough to challenge the current leader for his right to rule, the Trials of Body, Mind, and Spirit. These trials have not been attempted since I came to power several years ago." The lizard-men warriors seemed to back off a little, perplexed at the idea their leader was go for. "If the three of you can pass one trial each, then all your needs will be met. But if even one of you fails, you three will be executed and be made into a great feast for my warriors and the female with join the lizard-women in the tunnels below! Hsahsahsahsahsahsahsahsa!" Trogdor laughed evilly, join in by the delighted cheers of his men. The exception being Aeon who looked mortified, even more than Chris, Jin, or Zugai. Blitz made no visible reaction, weighing the consequences with the rewards. After a moment of thinking, Blitz lowered _Equalizer_.

"Deal." Blitz said, causing Jin and Zugai to gape in surprise.

"Very well! We shall start the trials tomorrow!" Trogdor tossed Chris to a group of lizard-men, who caught and restrained the pirate. "Take her to tunnels and have the women look after her and the maps. Aeon, take these three back to their room, and Squawk, make sure they all have means of sleep." All lizard-men bowed, though Aeon did so reluctantly, and set out on their assigned tasks.

"Blitz! Zugai! Jin! Don't worry about me, I'll be fine!" Chris yelled as she was dragged away, "You guys just focus on the trials!" No more could be heard from her, as line of sight was broken by door and walls. Zugai was the only one to watch Chris be taken away, and he gritted his teeth with anger all the while. He and the other walked in strained silence back to the room, and upon arriving, Zugai and Jin turned to Blitz in annoyance.

"Damn it Blitz, you shouldn't have accepted!" Zugai said angrily, "We can't just risk Chris's well being so callously! What if we lose?!" Jin nodded in agreement and folded his arms. Just what kind of captain was Blitz anyway?

"First off, Zugai," Blitz said, flopping casually on the bed, irritating the other two, "We're all at risk here, not just Chris. Besides, if I didn't we'd have to fight that huge Trodgor and 15 of his dumb-ass stooges, no offence." Blitz indicated Aeon, who had not left yet. Aeon waved his hand dismissively, showing he was not offended. "And Chris even said not to worry, so why should we?"

"Even still," Jin said rubbing his chin, "We have no idea what the trials are, nor do we know about this island, the lizard-men or their culture. They have home field advantage, even if we have Zugai's and my Devil Fruit powers, and maybe your guns. Those may not be enough."

"Jeez, talk about pessimistic. And people say I'm cynical." Blitz grumbled, leaning his head on his arm, "We're jut going to have to wing it. If we lose, we lose. At least Chris gets to live, lucky bitch. We get to end up as lizard turd."

"Not so." Aeon said, his head down, unable to look the three humans in the eye. This caused them to look at him, puzzled at what he meant. "Human Chrissy have mush worse fate, if you lose. Much worse than death."

* * *

Under the lizard-man village, in an intricate tunnel network, were several hut and dens in which lived the lizard-women and children. Chris was taken to a fairly large, two story hut by her captors. While walking among the hut, the natives had stopped what they were doing to stare at the strange new comer, whispering to one another. A few small children had dared each other to go up to the soft skin foreigner, but any who did got within a few feet of her before running back scared.

Scanning her surrounding, Chris noticed that the female lizard-folk had a much different appearance than the males. Rather than having Mohawk-like frills on their heads, the women had numerous spines of varying length, almost looking like dreadlocks—or in some cases cornrows, though each had varying shades of green or green-blue. They also did not have as broad as shoulders, and their tails were thinner and longer. The tails of the females also appeared to be prehensile, and some of them held items with their tails. While they too wore leather hide loincloths, they also wore, what Chris would best describe as, bikini-like tops made of the same material, as they seemed to have breasts much like humans do. And they seemed to ordainment their clothing with beads and feathers rather than leather straps and buckles.

Entering the large hut, the lizard-men warriors left her, and undid the bonds they had put on her. A small group of lizard-women came over to her, leading by her wrist to a small table and stumps for chairs. They seemed to be pampering Chris, as if she was some sort of royalty, giving her a nice folded piece of fur to sit on while they them selves stood.

"You need anything, human female?" one of the lizard-women asked, her voice sounding like someone not much older than Chris herself. This one had dark red dreadlock spines, as opposed to the usual green or green-blue, and seemed to have darker green scales. "We get for you, no worry, no problem. Aurora help you any way she can." The lizard-women, Aurora, bowed politely, and waited for Chris to ask so she could serve.

"Aurora? That's a pretty name, miss." Chris said, causing Aurora to blush neon green.

"Really, is it?" Aurora asked, scratching the back of her head.

"It is." Chris assured her, giver her a warm smile. Aurora returned it, as did the other lizard-women. "My name's Chris, by the way, and I want to say thank you for the hospitality you've been showing me. Unlike those jerks up there." Chris pointed to the ceiling, though the women knew she was referring to the warriors on the surface.

"We try best." Aurora said, smiling sadly, "We want young to be nice, change way of life. But Trogdor change them instead. Make them cruel and mean."

"Yeah about him. How did he get to be king, anyway?" Chris asked, making many of the lizard-women very nervous, fearful even.

"Trodgor pass all three trials, faster than any other. He beat previous king without trying, he so powerful." Aurora said, then gazed down at her feet. "He kill last king. King Awaki loved and was loved by all. He…" Aurora sniffed, the memory of the previous king obviously saddened her, "he was Aurora's father." Chris was shocked by this, not expecting it at all.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Aurora," Chris said apologetically, "I had no idea."

"Course not." Aurora said, trying to get pass the sadness, "You not live here at time, no way of knowing." The other women were also saddened by the memory of their lost king; it could be seen in their eyes.

"Er, you know, Aurora," Chris said, trying to change the topic, "You're, ah, well it's not really hair…you're uh head spine and body color is very similar to one of the warriors I saw from up above. Aeon, I think his name was." The mention of the name Aeon instantly brightened Aurora's face.

"Aeon is Aurora's bro-bro." Aurora said cheerfully, "We egg-mates, born from same egg."

"Oh! So your twins. That's pretty cool." Chris said, happy that she was able to get Aurora to smile again.

"How Aeon doing? He do well?" Aurora asked eagerly, sitting down next to Chris. "Aurora not see Aeon often, he too busy training and doing Trogor's bidding. Aurora like to hear about him."

"He's doing well." Chris said, as two lizard-women brought them some drinks. Taking a sip, Chris found that it tasted like a strong wine, and decided not to drink in large gulps. "Aeon was part of the group that captured me and my friends, but he refused to hit me just because I'm a girl." Aurora giggled at that.

"Yes, Bro-bro nice, only one not affected by Trogdor's rule. He never hit woman, not matter what. Aurora taught Bro-bro that as we grew." Giggling again, she added, "Cause Aurora hit Bro-bro harder each time Bro-bro hit Aurora." Chris giggle too, imagining a chibi Aurora smacking chibi Aeon across the face.

"Hey, Aurora, can I ask you another question?" Chris asked, not going further until she got a nod from Aurora. "Earlier, my friends and I got into an argument with Trogdor over the ownership of some maps…"

"Yes, Aurora know about that." Aurora said sipping from her drink, "Words very fast here. Aurora know that Chrissy's friend must face Trials to free Chrissy and win maps back." Chris nodded, letting slide the fact that she was called Chrissy. "We women wish Chrissy's friends win, so Chrissy not share the fate of us." Aurora averted her eyes, looking at her cup rather than Chris herself, "A fate Aurora must face very soon, the primary purpose of women under Trogdor rule."

Aurora then looked straight into Chris's eyes, startling Chris a little bit. Around this same time, Aeon looked up at Blitz, Jin, and Zugai. Both lizard-folk had a look of despair in their eyes, not wanting to say what they were about to say, but they had to for the human's sake.

"Trogdor use lizard-women, and soon Chrissy, as breeding stock."

* * *

End Chapter.

Notes: Yes, Breeding Stock. I went there, I dared to go there, and I did it. I would have updated sooner, but I was trying to find a way to write this chapter with out that ending, but I soon found that it's the only way the arc story could fit together. That and there were a lot of distractions over the week.

And yes, I had Chris be the one held ransomed, not because she was the girl as I am not sexist in any way, but because she was the only one that could be plausibly held captive. Could any of you see Jin, Zugai or even Blitz be the prisoner?

And what I have noticed was that not one person commented on the subtle references in the previous chapters, like Sir Porkalot's Boar Boulder and Tusk End Raider, or where Blitz got the idea on how to expose Pelgo.

Anywho, to end this long AN rant, I'd like to say Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

Signed, Nezumimaru


	10. Trials Part 3

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 3

* * *

Zugai lay on his bedroll, wide awake and unable to sleep. He had been staring up at the ceiling for who knows how long, the things he had learn before that lizard-man Squawk came with the bedding.

"Trodgor uses women, and soon Chrissy, as breeding stock." Zugai still couldn't believe what he had heard.

'How could we allow ourselves to be put in this situation?' Zugai thought, 'How could we allow Chris…?' Turning his head, Zugai looked over at where Jin had placed his bedroll and was currently sleeping, and Blitz slept on the only bed in the room. Never mind that bed was big enough for two, maybe three, Blitz insisted that since he was the captain, he should get the bed and he refused to share it. At least with other guys, anyway.

'And how could Blitz sleep so easily? Doesn't he feel the least bit guilty for putting us in this mess?' Zugai was still a little bitter that Blitz agreed to go with the trials, rather than just fight Trogdor outright. 'We could have taken him, even if we outnumbered us. Then we wouldn't be risking our lives!' Gritting his teeth angrily, Zugai cursed under his breath. 'Or risk Chris being a slave for the rest of her life. Bastard…'

"Go to sleep, Bonehead." Blitz said suddenly, startling Zugai, "If all of us are going to win our trials, then we all need to have a good nights rest." Grumbling, Zugai turned to his side, his back to Blitz. "And I had no idea what exactly we were getting into, or what they had planned for Chris, so stop blaming me." Zugai's eyes widen. It was as if he had read his mind or something. "Besides, Chris is one tough customer. I'm sure she's fine." Sighing, Zugai couldn't help but secretly agree with Blitz. Chris is a good fighter. With that little reassurance, Zugai closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

* * *

The Next Morning

"!!!!!!!!"

Chris Hopkins woke up with a start, sitting straight up and sweating profusely. Looking around her, she saw that she was in a sort of bedroom, though it was sparsely decorated and the only window showed only rock and torchlight. The room itself had only a bed with a side table, on which were Chris's Two Sided Dagger and hat, on top of her folded vest.

"Just a dream." Chris breathed, before flopping back down on the pillows beneath her. Aurora and the others had helped her to this room last night, as she could barely move due to shock, after learning what Trogdor had planned for her if Blitz and the others lost. "Great." Chris mumble, her face mixed with stress and despair, "Now I'm going to have nightmares of lizard-babies for the rest of my life. Thanks, people." She sat up again, clutching her bed sheets and shivering. "Just thinking about that dream sends chills down my spine. I don't even what to know if it's even possible!" Taking in a few deep breaths, Chris tried to calm herself. "Ok, Chris Hopkins, stay calm. The guys can win their trials, and this will all end, just like a bad dream. Just stay calm and don't freak out if anything happens."

Slowly, the door to her room opened, and three armed lizard-men came in, one of them holding a box. Instinctively and instantly, Chris grabbed her Two Sided Dagger from the side table, pointing it at the three lizard-men.

"COME ANY CLOSER AND I CUT YOUR BALLS OFF!!!" Chris yelled, clamping her legs together as tight as she could. She actually had no idea if lizard-men even _had_ balls, but seeing as that the three in front of her paled and zipped from the room, apparently they do, and were just as protective of them as human men. 'Yeah, way to not freak out there, Chris.' She thought with a sweatdrop.

Several hissing sounds could be heard from beyond the wall and door, making Chris wonder what was going on. Eventually, Aurora came in with the box that the lizard-men had, and closed the door behind her.

"Chrissy scare men good." Aurora chirped, "Aurora glad Chrissy have ferocious spirit, like mighty tiger." Chris scratched the back of her head sheepishly, and she placed her dagger back on the side table.

"I…kind of overreacted. I've been a little jumpy after…what I learned last night." Chris said, sliding out of bed. Aurora nodded understandingly, and set the box on the foot of the bed, which Chris eyed, curiously. "What's in the box?"

"King Trogdor want Chrissy wear this during trials, showing others Chrissy is part of prize." Aurora said, opening the box, revealing what was inside. Seeing it, Chris's entire face darkened.

"I…am _not_…wearing…**that**."

* * *

A Few Hours Later

Blitz, Zugai, and Jin, having just finished eating their breakfast, and had been escorted by Aeon to a very large pit. It was easily 4 or 5 stories deep, and about 75 yards in diameter. Wooden railings surrounded the pit, and a level of scaffolding with railings some distance from the top of the pit. Lizard-men where waiting anxiously by the railing on both levels, over crowding the primitive arena. The three young men where taken to a small gate in front of a sort of lift that went down into the pit.

"Wait." Aeon said, making sure that the three did not get to close to the edge, "Trogdor speak soon." And sure enough, on a section of scaffolding almost void of lizard-men, Trogdor sat on a large throne similar to the one in his throne room, a tunnel entrance behind him. A few other seats where on either side of him, though none were sitting in them yet.

"My kin!" Trogdor bellowed, earning a deafening roar of cheers from his warriors, "Today we have three humans who shall partake in The Trials, normally reserved for those who think they strong enough to challenge the reigning King for leadership. However, you my brothers are getting restless from boredom, as none has yet tried to challenge me!" Another roar of cheers. "Therefore, for your entertainment, these human will risk their very lives, not for the power of leadership, but to claim these!" Trogdor raised his hand and motioned someone from the tunnel behind him. Soon two lizard-men, Squad Boss Mugiu and Trogdor's assistant Squawk, came around to his right. Squawk was carrying a bow with some paper sticking out, holding it up for all to see before sitting down in the seat next to Trogdor. Mugiu sat in the next chair next to Squawk.

"Those were my maps." Whispered Jin, gripping the railing. Continued to stare at the box, barely registering that Trogdor began to speak again.

"What these are, are not important to any of you." Trogdor continued, "Only know that I have them, and the humans want them. Of course," Trogdor smirked, causing Blitz and Zugai to cringe at the mere sit of it, "it would not be fair if the humans were to get something for winning and we would not, so the humans offered this should they fail." He motioned again, this time Aurora came out seemingly coaxing someone to come out of the tunnel and into the open, though was having some difficulty.

"Come-come, Chrissy, please no anger King." Aurora pleaded, trying to get her to sympathize and come out. Sighing, Chris decided that it was inevitable and stepped out into the light, showing all; including Blitz, Zugai, and Jin what Trogdor had her wear. The three men could not believe their eyes.

Chris Hopkins, tomboy and ruffian, was no longer wearing her normal attire, but rather a beautiful flowing white chiffon cocktail dress. The plunging neckline and holster top through them off for a second, as did the fact that Chris no longer had her hat, allowing her red hair to fall to her shoulders. A slight blush of embarrassment adorn her cheeks, as she fiddled with her hands.

"Hey, Trogdor!" Blitz shouted, cupping his hand next to his mouth, "How 'bout as an added bonus, we get to keep the dress, and you keep her regular clothes?"

"F^& YOU, BLITZ!!" Chris cursed, flipping Blitz the bird while having a step up on the railing, with Aurora grabbing hold of her arm to keep her from falling over.

"Wow…" Jin said, tilting his head in astonishment. Having learned that Chris was a girl just yesterday, Jin never really had time to really assess Chris's look until now, and she was very attractive.

"You know," Zugai said, also tilting his and crossing his arms, blushing slightly, "Chris actually looks pretty good with her hair down." Blitz glanced over at Zugai, his eye half-closed and a slight smirk on his face. "What?"

"Nothing." Blitz said before turning back around, "Though you may want to find a way to get rid of that blush before Chris sees you." Zugai swiftly turned his head away.

"If you humans are done squabbling," Trogdor said, tapping a clawed finger on the railing in front of him, "Choose which of you will partake in the first of the three Trials, the Trial of Body." The three look amongst each other, before Blitz and Jin rested their eyes on Zugai, who continued to switch back at the other two.

"What, me?" asked Zugai, pointing at himself. Blitz and Jin nodded.

"Yes you." Blitz said, "Chances are, the Trial involves brute strength, and with your Devil Fruit power you have a better chance of passing it than me or Jen."

"Jin."

"Whatever."

"Oh fine." Zugai sighed, shouldering Honehakaisha and heading over to the lift, where Aeon waited to lower him down. A minute later, Zugai got off the lift at the bottom of the pit, ready for anything that these scale-brains could throw at him.

"Mugiu." Trogdor ordered, snapping his fingers. Mugiu nodded and grabbed up a large club and stone shield. Mugiu then jumped off the scaffolding, landing a few feet away from Zuagi, the ground beneath him crushing as if a boulder was dropped. Mugiu grinned wickedly, licking his teeth as he circled Zugai, his thick tail swaying behind him.

"The Trial of Body! One-on-One combat until one combatant is unconscious, yields, or dies!" Trogdor said, breathing deep. Taking a very gulp air, Trogdor exhaled violently, exhausting red hot flames from his mouth. "Breath of the Dragon God!" The flames roared thought the air, circling around Zugai and Mugiu, resulting in a wall of fire ten feet high and 50 yards in diameter. "In a ring of fire!"

"He breaths freakin' fire!?" Chris exclaimed, reeling back and falling into one of the chairs, next to an already seated Aurora. "Holy freakin' crap!"

"King Trogdor only lizard-man can create fire." Aurora explained, glancing worryingly at Zugai. "Mugiu very strong, second only to King. Chrissy's friend have very hard time fighting."

'Well crap.' Thought Zugai, gripping Honehakaisha. 'Not only do I have to fight this guy, put I also have to endure these hot flames the whole time. Not going to be easy.' Already Zugai could feel the heat, sweat forming on his brow.

"No rest, human!" Mugiu shouted, lunging at Zugai with force. "Shield Bash!" He thrusted his shield at Zugai, aiming for his face. Zugai instinctively swung his axe across the incoming shield. A slight scratch appeared on the shield, and Zugai was sent reeling back several feet.

"Mugiu strong! Stronger than human!" Mugiu shouted, pounding his chest like and ape.

"We all are stronger than the human!" Trogdor boasted, addressing the crowd of lizard-men. "Watch the way the human fight, analyze their weaknesses and strengths, so that when the time comes, we will conquer the human territories known as the East Blue!" Once again the lizard-men cheered, but Jin and Chris were shocked, and Blitz grimaced.

"So not only do we have to win for the maps _and_ to save Chris from a life of making lizard-babies, but also to save the entire East Blue from invasion." Blitz said, biting his thumbnail. "I really did bite off a lot more than I thought."

Back down in the ring of fire, the fight between Zugai and Mugiu continued, both of them exchanging blows and blocking them in equal measures.

"Bone Splitter!" Zugai shouted, swinging upwardly at Mugiu. Mugiu easily back stepped and dodged the attack, though just barely, as Zugai managed to nick Mugiu's chin, drawing a small amount of blood. Mugiu wiped the blood off with the back of his hand, growling menacingly at Zugai.

"Luck shot, human." Mugiu growled, charging at Zugai once again. Zugai rolled off to the side, accidentally rolling precariously close to the flames of the ring. Being so close to the flame made it feel like his very flesh was melting.

"Have…to stay away from the edge of the circle." Zugai grunted, trying to get as far away from the outside of the circle. Of course, that meant getting closer to Mugiu.

"Lizard Smash!" Mugiu shouted, bringing his club down on Zugai's head. Zugai brought Honehakaisha up to block, barely stopping the attack with out his legs giving out. He gave them a little extra density as he held back Mugiu, until he stood at full height, standing toe-to-toe with Mugiu. This shocked Mugiu, not believing that a mere human could push him back this far, if at all.

"I may be human," Zugai said, pushing Mugiu even further back, "But I have power, too." He then punched Mugiu several feet back with a reinforced fist, knocking him off his feet.

"Yeah, that's right! Sock it to him, Zugai!!" Chris cheered pumping her fists in the air. She may have been forced to wear a dress, but watching one of her nakama kick some scaly ass was worth all the while.

"Woah, he is pretty strong." Jin said, amazed by Zugai's power. "You said his Devil Fruit allows him to control bone density, right?"

"Yup." Blitz answered, leaning on the railing. "He's a tough guy, probably could take on a small army by himself if he wanted to. Even with the flames, he'll beat this Mugiu guy in less than ten minutes."

"I wouldn't go that far." Jin said, scratching his head, "I'd say closer to fifteen minutes."

"We'll see."

Rubbing his jaw, Mugiu got back up on his feet, clutching his club and shield with new vigor. He then jumped to Zugai's right, circling around him. Zugai raised his axe in a defensive manner, waiting for an attack. And an attack did come, though not in the way Zugai had anticipated.

"Tail Strike!" Zugai's legs were suddenly knocked out from under him. Mugiu had spun around, taking out Zugai's leg not with his club but his tail! Coming full circle, Mugiu face Zugai just as he hit the ground, his club raised high and ready to bring it down on Zugai. "Power Slam!"

Zugai quickly rolled out of the way, just before the club hit him, creating a small crater in the ground. Rolling up back to his feet, Zugai got back into a fighting stance.

"Take this! Bone Cleaver Trail!" Zugai cried, smashing the ground with his axe. A tremor shook the small area within the ring of fire, and a crack in the ground grew, heading straight towards a staggering Mugiu, causing him to be knocked back on him back.

"Ha…ha…" Zugai breathed heavily, the flames surrounding him starting to get to him. He was working to hard, causing his body to get worked up, raising his body heat in conjunction with the fire. 'If I don't end this soon, I may pass out from overheating.'

"Fire getting to human yet?" Mugiu chuckled, getting back up to his feet. Zugai would have tried to go over and knock him back down, but he was too hot and exhausted. "Human flesh weak. Lizard-men scales strong. Mugiu last longer in fire, much longer than weak human." Standing up at full height, Mugiu tossed his club and shield aside. "Mugiu not need weapons now, to beat weak human." He charged Zugai, teeth bared and claws outstretched. Zugai just stood there, almost incapacitated by the extreme heat.

"Zugai!!" Chris and Jin cried, fearful what is coming. Blitz simply waited, still leaning on the railing. But Zugai did not move, if anything he just dropped Honehakaisha to the ground and fell to his knees.

"Ha! Human no challenge for Mugiu! Easy victory!" Mugiu sneered, closing in on Zuagi. But as he got within inches of him, Zugai rolled to the side. Mugiu passed him, unable to stop. Zugai grabbed Mugiu's tail as he passed, grabbing the very end.

"Evasive Surgery!" With a hard yank, Zugai pulled out Mugiu's tail bone, creating a whip-like weapon. Mugiu tried to turn to face Zugai, but he almost lost his footing. For some reason he was feeling wobbly.

"Surprised?" Zugai mocked, swinging around the tail bone whip, "It appears that, just like all lizards, your tails aren't just for fashion. They help you keep your balance. Your tail may feel numb, because I just pulled out the bone inside it. Without the feeling in you tail, you can't keep you balance. No balance, no speed, no strength or power, no easy victory."

Zugai then whipped the tail bone at Mugiu, wrapping it around his neck. With a yank, Zugai started to swing Mugiu around and around and around, picking up more and more speed. Once he was going fast enough, Zugai let go of the tail bone. The centrifugal force sent Mugiu flying, through the wall of flames, and into the rock wall of the pit. With a loud crack, Mugiu came to a very abrupt stop before falling the ground. And he was not going to get up any time soon.

Silence filled the air, none but five could believe what had happened. Mugiu, second in command of the lizard-men, was defeated in combat. How could this be?

"Less than ten minutes." Blitz said pushing himself off the railing, "Like I said, Jen."

"Jin."

"Whatever."

"Hells yeah!" Shouted Chris jumping up on the railing and pumping her fists, "That's right! Ain't no way anyone can beat the Battle Master Pirates! We're the best!!" Her celebration was cut short as Aurora quickly pulled her back down to her seat.

"Chrissy! More careful, please." Aurora asked, trying to get Chris to settle down.

"Oh stop worrying! I'm fine." Chris assured her, patting her on the shoulder.

"Aurora know Chrissy take care of Chrissy," Aurora said, "But Aurora worried for pretty dress. Only one on island." She pointed to Chris's dress, reminding her that she was no longer wearing pants. Chris's cheek's flushed up while she pouted and crossed her arms, huffing indignantly.

'Well, I won.' Zugai thought as went over to pick up his axe, fanning himself to cool down. 'That's one step closer to getting Chris out of Trogdor's clutches. Though I have to admit,' he blushed slightly as he headed back to the lift. 'I think Chris should keep that dress.'

"Well done." Aeon said, patting Zugai on the back as he got on the lift. "Few beat Mugiu, none in ring of flame." Zugai grinned and scratched his head.

"Thanks." Zugai said, as Aeon started to bring them back up to the top. "You're a good guy, Aeon. A lot better than that oversized pair of shoes you call King." Aeon nodded solemnly. "I bet you'd make a better leader for your people, if only you just challenge his rule."

"Aeon can't." said Aeon, shaking his head, "Aeon not strong, Aeon not have special powers like Trogdor."

"It isn't about having the best powers." Zugai said back, wiping the last of the sweat from his forehead, "It's about have the heart." Aeon stared at Zugai, this previously unknown wisdom sinking in.

"Mugiu lose." Whimpered Squawk, holding his head in his hands. "What we do now?"

"Alert the best archers." Trogdor whispered to him, careful not to alert Chris or Aurora. "Make sure they are hidden for the next Trial. They will not win. Not so long as I am King. I will have the maps, and the female. Then…the East Blue."

* * *

End Chapter.

Notes: Well that went well. I really couldn't decide if I should have this at the end of the Trials, but ended up with it like this. Next Trial: the Trial of the Mind! BTW, like Chris's new outfit?

Also, now that vacation is over and I'm back in school, I will have less time to work on this story. So the next update will be next week Friday, and every Friday afterwards, rather than Wednesdays.

Signed—Nezumimaru


	11. Trials Part 4

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 4

Trial of Mind

* * *

After Zugai had completed the Trial of Body, the next trial soon commenced. After a few minutes of walking to a very large tree, that is. The tree in question was taller than the pit where Zugai fought was deep. The lowest branch was more than 20 feet above the ground, and there were at least four large platforms placed intermittently up to the top of the tree. Unseen by the viewers on the ground, however, there were also several lizard-men with bows and arrows hidden amongst the leaves, waiting for their time to strike.

"Here shall be where the Trial of Mind takes place!" announced Trogdor, "Humans! Choose who will take this Trial!" Without hesitation, Blitz pushed Jin forward, almost knocking him off his feet. After stabilizing, Jin brushed himself and turned back to Blitz.

"Why should _I _go? Why not you?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Because," Blitz said, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm obviously the hero here, being the best looking and smartest, while you and Zugai are the next-to-obscure sidekicks. And the hero always goes last in situations like this, if only for a little dramatic flair." Before he could react, Blitz soon found himself half buried in the ground with just his legs sticking out. Zugai and Jin stood not far, patting off the dust from their hands.

"Well, now that Blitz is incapacitated for the moment, I guess I'll have to take this one." Jin sighed, walking up to a small circle near the base of the tree.

"Very well." Trogdor said while pointing to the bottom-most platform on the tree, "For the Trial of Mind, you will make your way up to the top of this tree. On each of the three platforms in a small chest. In each chest is a flag. You must collect all three flags and take them to the top most platform, where one of my warriors wait to signal your arrival. The catch?" Squawk then appeared at Trogdor's side, carrying with some difficultly an hourglass that was almost at tall as he was, placing it next to Trogdor. "Not only must you complete the Trail before the hourglass stops, each chest has a riddle that must be solved in order for it to open. Are you fast and intelligent enough to complete this Trial, human?"

'I see,' Jin thought, looking up at the top of the tree, 'while the Trial of Body tested one's strength and endurance, the Trial of Mind tests one's mental capacity and the reflexes to match it. These Trials really do make sure that only the best of the tribe can lead them.'

"Let the Trial…" Trogdor grabbed the hourglass and turned it upside down, allowing the sands to flow down the glass. "Begin!"

"Mizu Mizu No Jet!" Jin's feet suddenly turned to water and like a cork from a shaken up bottle of booze, Jin shot up 20 feet and grabbed the lowest branch, swinging him self up. He then proceeded to launch him self from branch to branch up to the first platform.

"How…how he do that?" Squawk squawked, his jaw landing on the ground with a thud. All the lizard-men, Trogdor included, were surprised by this turn of events.

"What in the name of the Elder Spirits…?" Trogdor murmured watching wide eyed as Jin reached the platform in record time. "Is he some kind of demon, like the other one?"

"Jin and Zugai," said Chris, smirking smugly as she watched Jin from her spot next to Trogdor, "ate Devil Fruits, giving them incredible power. With Jin's power over water, getting through this Trial will be a synch." As he spoke, Blitz managed to pull him self out of the ground, spitting out dirt from his mouth.

"Yuck!! How can worm stand that stuff?" Blitz grumbled, trying to wipe the last dirt specks from his tongue. Walking over to where Zugai was, he asked, "What'd I miss?"

"Not much," Zugai said, "Jin just made it to the first platform."

Up at the platform, Jin crouched next to the large chest that was there, which most likely held the first of the three flags. One the chest was a primitive grid of nine raised squares, with text above them that read:

"Walls as white as milk,

Insides as soft as silk.

In the middle of a pond crystal clear,

A golden prize does appear.

There are no doors to this stronghold,

Yet thieves break in to steal the gold."

On each of the nine squares there was a small sketch or carving, each depicting a different thing. From left to right, top to bottom; there was a sort of simple castle drawing, a bird, a skull, a circle with reeds depicting a pond, a tree, an egg, a boar, a chest, and a cradle.

Rubbing his chin, Jin reached with one hand and pressed one of the squares, the chest. It was pushed into the chest smoothly. Suddenly, Jin heard branches breaking. Jumping out of the way, Jin dodged a small boulder just in time.

"I see." Jin said understandingly, walking back over to the chest, "You have to press the right button, and not just randomly, or else you won't get the flag, just pain or death." Looking over the riddle again, Jin began to think, trying to figure out which button needs to be pressed. "I'm guessing that the answer to the riddle is shown on one of these, but which one?"

Walls as white as milk? Golden prize? Stronghold? Jin eyes brighten up, figuring out which one to press, the one with the egg. Almost as soon as he pressed the button, the chest clicked and opened, revealing a stick with a crude piece of cloth tied to on end.

'Alright! Got the first one!' Jin thought happily, using Mizu Mizu No Jet to jump up to a branch above him.

"Grrrrr." Trogdor growled seeing Jin jump up to the branched above him, "He indeed in a smart one. Now's the time for my men to…intervene." Looking at what appeared to the others as an inconspicuous shadow in the leaves, Trogdor made a quick thumbs down. There was a slight rustle in the leaves, then stillness.

As Jin landed on a branch as he made his way up to the next platform, the first flag tucked into his jacket pocket, a set of arrow appeared from a hiding spot above him, priming to fly. Just as Jin was about to make another Jet Jump, the arrows were released, whizzing silently through the air.

The hairs on the back of Jin's neck quickly stood on end, giving Jin the feeling of being watched. Just as he turned around, he saw a large group of arrows, heading straight for him! He only had enough time to raise his arms to block his face.

Just as the first of the arrows pierced his skin, the area turned to water, allowing the arrow to past right on through, as it was with the arrows that followed. When the last arrow landed in the branch behind him, Jin placed his hand on his hips and laughed.

"Hahahahaha! You weapons are useless against me! I'm made of water!" Jin laughed, grinning widely. A few seconds past, the hidden archers not sure on what to do.

"Muk-Muk, go see King," one of them whispered, not taking his slitted eyes off this demon-human, "Ask what we do." The lizard-man nodded, and jumped down the tree. With nothing happening, Jin shrugged and proceeded to the next platform.

* * *

Back on the ground, the crowd had lost sight of Jin, and were waiting for the horn the signaled his finish. Chris was tapping her foot, getting impatient. How long what Jin going to take? Looking over at Blitz and Zugai, she saw that they somehow had gotten a deck of cards and were teaching Aeon to play poker.

"Two black thingies." Aeon said, laying down his cards.

"Spades." Zugai corrected him, laying down his own, "Three of a kind, Hearts." Blitz smirked and placed his own down.

"Royal Flush." He grinned, earning some groans from Zugai and Aeon. Blitz scooped up a small group of leaves and wood chips that they were substituting for playing chips, having already cumulated a small pile already. Chris's jaw dropped, not believing what she was seeing.

"You guys started a game of poker with out me?!" Chris tried to scoot over to join them, but was stopped by a pair of lizard-men guards.

"No talk to others!" one of them said, pushing her back to her place, "No risk escape." Chris growled and sat on a small stool that was brought for her. This kind of treatment, being separated from her friends and all the fun, forced to wear something she didn't what to wear, it all reminded her of life with her grandmother, before she managed to escape the house and join the Fuschia Pirates. And Chris hated it.

Trogdor, also getting impatient, registered that one of his archers was approaching his from the side.

"What is so important that you had to leave your post, against my orders?" Trogdor said in a very threatening tone, causing the young lizard-man to shiver.

"Arrows go right through human." The archer-lizard whispered, trying not to alert the humans or the other lizard-men. "Like he made of water, we no hit him."

"Hmm." Trogdor thought, his arms crossed. Leaning down to the archer's level, he whispered, "If you can't harm the human, then try and slow him down, ensure he does not finish the Trial in time." The archer-lizard nodded, jumping swiftly back into the tree. Unknown to either of the two, there was someone listening to their conversation, and Aurora very concerned with what she heard.

* * *

Jin made it the rest of the way to the second platform, and to the next chest with the flag without a hitch. As he knelt down next to the chest, this is what he read:

"Water, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Wood.

Correct the balance of Nature."

Under the text was a circle with five pegs spread equally around it. Five arrows within the circle pointed to each peg, creating a star shape pattern. The circle it self was made of five arrows that also pointed to one peg each. On the pegs, from top most going clockwise, were symbols of five elements: Earth, Water, Metal, Fire, Wood."

"Huh! This one's a lot simpler than the last one!" Jin exclaimed, picking up the Earth peg. "Anyone with basic knowledge of mythology knows this!" Shifting around the pegs so that the Wood peg was at the top and Fire, Earth, Metal and Water followed clockwise. Upon placing the last peg, the chest clicked open, revealing another crude flag.

"Alright! Almost done!" Jin said happily, putting the flag with the other one and Jet jumped up to a branch above him. However, just as he landed, a large log swung down from above, splattering Jin into a multitude of water droplets. The flags landed on the branch, miraculously not falling off. As Jin reformed, a single lizard-man jumped down to the branch and picked up the two flags, tucking them into a leather strap across his chest.

"Dammit!" Jin groaned, rubbing his head. Despite the fact that most of the pain one would feel is negated by him turning to water, it still left a weird tingling feeling that he didn't like. Suddenly, he realized that he couldn't feel the flags in his pocket. Quickly looking around, he was able to see the lizard-man just in time to see him start climbing the truck of the tree with his claws.

"HEY! CHEATER!!" Jin shouted, running toward the lizard-man. This startled the reptile humanoid, causing him to climb even faster in a panic. "Not so fast! Mizu Mizu No Pistol!" Aiming both his fist at the lizard-man, they turned to a single powerful hose of pure hydro force, plastering the lizard-man to the tree trunk. But as soon as Jin let up, another lizard-man swung down on a rope and managed to snatch the flags from his partner.

"Ha ha! Human no catch us!" the lizard-man mocked, landing on a different branch than Jin. Jin turned to face him, ignoring the now unconscious lizard-man he has previously hosing.

"Stupid scaly ape!" Jin cursed, jumping after him. 'Damn, I have to get those flags back. If I take too long, I might not be able to finish the Trial in time!!'

"Mizu Mizu No Barrage!" Doing a quick hand stand, Jin turned his legs to water and aimed several kicks at the lizard-man, launching water missiles at him.

Acting as planned, the lizard-man threw the flags to yet another lizard-man just before he too was taken out by Jin.

"Dammit!" Jin yelled, getting very infuriated by his adversaries. How was he going to get the flags back if these scale-covered punks?

* * *

Back at the crowd, the hourglass was half down, and still going. Trogdor stood with his arms crossed, Squawk stood at his side trying to copy him. Aurora was fidgegting next to Chris, who had fallen asleep from boredom and was using Aurora's shoulder as a pillow. Blitz, Zugai and Aeon were still playing cards.

"Pair of Aces." Blitz boasted, laying down his cards. Aeon threw his cards down in frustration, while Zugai slapped his forehead. How was Blitz winning so easily? But just as Blitz leaned over rake in his winnings, a single card slipped out from his sleeve, not going unnoticed by Zugai. Noticing it, Zugai instantly grabbed Blitz's arm and drew the sleeve back, causing a number of cards to fall out. Blitz grinned sheepishly as Zugai and Aeon glared daggers at him

"You cheated!" Zugai bellow as he tackled Blitz, starting a small dogfight/wrestling match that Aeon quickly joined. It was not going well for Blitz, who was trying everything to worm his way out of Zugai grip and dodge Aeon's claws and fangs, the three kicking up a big cloud of dust. Aurora, seeing this little scuffle, elbowed Chris slightly, waking her up.

"Chrissy and friends not concern about Jin-Jin?" Aurora asked. Chris chuckled and shook her head.

"Nah. We may not know Jin all that well, but he seemed pretty passionate about getting his maps back. He's not going to lose so easily. We're not worried." Chris said before promptly going back to sleep on Aurora's shoulder. Aurora sighed and looked back at the tree.

* * *

"NO HURT! NO HURT!" The lizard-man that was now keeping the flags away from Jin was jumping from branch to branch as fast as he could, trying to stay away from the very annoyed human that was pursuing him. Jin was shooting small blasts of water at him at a very fast pace, trying to hit him as fast as he could. And the lizard-man could not be any more scared.

"Gimme back those flags and I won't!" Jin shouted back, trying to keep up with the lizard-man.

"No! King Trogdor hurt me more!" the lizard-man shouted back, looking over his shoulder. But as soon as he faced forward again, his face smashed right into a low branch. He flipped backwards once, and landed hard on his belly on the next branch, knocking the wind out of him. Cringing in pain, the lizard-man fell off the branch, and started to plummet to the ground.

Put just as he lost contact with the branch, a hand shot out and grabbed him by the tail. No longer fall, he looked up and saw that Jin was the one holing him by his tail, keeping him from falling.

"Why?" The lizard-man asked, his face contorting in confusion. "Why human save Lok-Lok? Lok-Lok enemy."

"Maybe." Jin said as he pulled him up to safety. "But I wasn't going to just let you die, either. You were just doing what you were ordered to do. So I have no quarrel with you, just the man—er—lizard you serve. Now give me back those flags." Hesitant at first, Lok-Lok handed the flags to Jin. As soon as he got the flags, Jin Jet jumped, to get to the next platform as fast as her could. Lok-Lok just sat there, contemplating what Jin had said.

Once on the platform with the last chest, Jin knelt down to read the text.

Only there was none.

Just a hole in the top of the chest, and the flag ripe for the picking.

"Sweet! Free-bee!" Jin shouted, sticking his hand right in. But just as he did, a hidden clamp inside the chest came down on his hand, trapping it inside the chest. Jin lifted his arm up, the chest going up with it. Shaking it, it proved to be a very strong clamp as it would not break or let go. Regardless, Jin continued to shake it up and down, trying to shake it off despite the fact that it was not working. Behind him, yet another lizard-man, the one called Muk-Muk, appeared.

"You trick Lok-Lok, but you no trick Muk-Muk!" Muk-Muk shouted, lunging at Jin with a stone knife. Jin heard this, and spun around very quickly, smashing Muk-Muk in the face with the chest. Muk-Muk was sent back into the tree, KOed, and the chest shattered into splinters, leaving Jin's hand clutching the last flag. Jin stood bewildered for a few seconds before shrugging.

"Well, that works." Jin said, heading off to the last platform, and the end of the Trial.

* * *

"The human will not make it." Trogdor stated, seeing that the hourglass as almost out. "Just a few more minutes, and the humans will fail."

"But we won't." Chris yawned waking up again, stretching out the kinks. "Besides, I don't understand how you can benefit from this. I mean, do you even know how to read a map? And, although I honestly don't want to know, how am I going to be part of your little 'breeding stock'? Can lizard-men and humans even cross-breed?"

"I don't know, actually." Trogdor said, earning a confused look from Chris and Aurora. "That's why I want to keep you. To see if it _is_ possible. That way, I will know jut how many prisoners I will need to take as I conquer the East Blue." Looking straight into Chris's now horrified eyes, he said, "And yes, I _do_ know how to read a map, human. I am just as, if not more, intelligent than most humans." Chuckling, Trogdor turned back to face the tree.

"Well crap…" Chris breathed, still a little horrified. "This is not going to end well…"

* * *

Jin worked his up the tree, doing single legged Jet jumps to try and go faster. He knew he was running out of time. He running/jumping as fast as he could, to make up for lost time trying to get the flags back. He had to make it, he just had to! He work so hard on those maps, he just couldn't lose them! Oh, and to save Chris. That's important too.

Jin landed on the last platform, right at the very top of the tree, swaying in the wind. Jin had a hard time keeping his footing in the stiff breeze. There was only one lizard-man, held a large conch shell in his hands. Jin held his three flags, and placed them in three slots on the platform in front of the lizard-man. The reptile nodded and brought the conch shell to his…uh…snout and blew, creating a loud horn sound. It was so loud, Jin was sure it could be heard all the way in the West Blue!

* * *

On the ground, all could hear the horn of the conch shell. Trogdor check the hourglass. There were just a few grains left! Jin made it! Chris jumped with joy, pumping her fists in the air.

"YES! Go Jin!" Chris cheered. One more win and she is free from the evil dress! Oh, and the East Blue gets saved, and Jin get back his maps, that's important too.

Zugai and Aeon stopped their assault on Blitz who took the opportunity to crawl out from under them. Hearing the conch, they grinned and gave each other a high five. One more win.

"Wait, why are you happy?" Zugai asked, mid high five. Aeon linked a few times, unsure of how to answer.

"Aeon like Zugai and friends. Aeon want see them win." He finally said, scratching his head.

"Ok, just checking." Zugai said, getting up. At least they had one lizard-man on their side if things got bad. Blitz stood a few feet away, dusking himself off.

"Heh, figured Jen would make it in time." He said, acting as if he new all along.

"Jin." Zugai and Aeon corrected him, in Jin's abstance.

"Whatever." Trogdor, how ever, was not pleased.

"What were those archers doing? They failed." He grumbled, gnawing on his forefinger. "I only have one chance left, one last Trial." He grinned slightly. "I wonder how the last one will fare, in the Trial of Spirit, within the Cave of Dark Ancestors?"

* * *

End Chapter

Well, this one took a lot longer than expected. Didn't think this Trial would last so long, either. But I digress.

Some news irrelevant to this story: I got accepted into college!! I'm excited.

So next Trial: Trial of Spirit with Blitz. In the Cave of Dark Ancestors, no less. Sounds dark…and ancestor-y…doesn't it.

Signed--Nezumiamru


	12. Trials Part 5

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 5

The Trial of Spirit!

* * *

"Well done, Jin." Said Zugai, as the watery navigator returned from the top of the tree. "You almost didn't make it, had us worried." Blitz snorted, earning the attention of the other two.

"Worried my ass! We were playing poker the whole time!" Blitz scoffed. And just like before the trial, he found himself half-buried in the ground, courtesy of Jin and Zugai.

"Well, ok, we were." Zugai admitted, as Aeon and another lizard-man pulled Blitz out from the ground with a 'pop'. "But that was just because we knew you'd win. After all, a lot is at stake here."

"There sure is." Jin affirmed, nodding his head, dusting a leaf off his shoulder. "Though, in hind sight, maybe we shouldn't have attacked our last contender." Looking over at Blitz, he saw that he was spitting dirt from his mouth. 'Though he may not be much anyway.' Jin thought. Trogdor stood a few feet away, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Cease your childish antics! We will need to travel to the site of the next Trial!" He growled, turning to walk away. The crowd of lizard-men followed him, Chris being forced to stay at Trogdor's side, though thankfully Aurora was there to make sure she was not harmed.

"You heard the lizard, let get going." Said Blitz, who adjusted his gun harness and strode off, acting like he _didn't_ just get stuck in the ground twice. "The sooner we get to the next Trial, the sooner I get to show off, and the sooner we can leave this mudhole." Zugai and Jin looked at each other, shrugged and hurried after Blitz.

* * *

The next 'site' that the Trial of Spirits would take place, was in front of a large cave entrance. The lizard-man crowd formed a half-circle around it, with Trogdor, Squawk, Aurora, Aeon, and the humans inside the circle.

"This humans, is the Cave of Dark Ancestors." Trogdor stated, reaching his arm towards the cave. "It was once a burial ground for the dead, but angry spirits who refuse to pass on to the next world have claimed the deepest part of the cave. Any that venture down there risks awakening those spirits. Those lucky to survive say that they were filled with dark and horrific visions from the spirits, meant to drive them insane or even to death for trespassing their resting place."

"So," said Blitz, tilting his head and crossing his arms, "It's a mystery cave." Jin and Zugai, who stood on either side of him, dropped their heads and sweatdropped.

"Could you _please_ try and be a little serious here, Blitz?" Jin asked and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You, One-Eye," Trogdor continued, pointing at Blitz, "Must traverse the depths of the Cave of Dark Ancestors and retrieve a small statuette at an altar. You will know what it is when you find it."

"Wait, how did the statuette get there?" Blitz asked, narrowing his eyes.

"We have found a means to ward off the spirits with the scent of special herbs." Trogdor explained idly, "It was placed before the Trial."

"And I will have to go in there with out 'em, right?" Blitz slumped, glancing at the mouth of the cave. "Fine with me, but how am I supposed to show my incredible fighting skills when I'm in a dark dank cave?"

"Idiot!" Zugai said loudly, smacking the back of his head, "This isn't about you! This is about Chris…and Jin's maps. You have to be careful, 'cause if you succumb to…what ever is in there, you lose the Trial, and you know what that means!" Blitz waved him off dismissively and started to the cave. Zugai got a little put off from being ignored. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"Hey Blitz!" Blitz turned to face Chris, who managed to get a few feet before a lizard-man grabbed her shoulder. Blitz walked right up to her, so that she had to tilt her head up to look at him. "You had better win this, Cyclops-Bastard. If you don't, I _will_ kill in the most painful way possible, even if you're already effin dead." Blitz chuckled, then patted Chris on the head, who huffed indignantly.

"Don't you worry your pretty little head, Red. I got this in the bag." Blitz turned and headed to the cave again, waving his hand. "Zugai and Jen had hard tests than this, I'll be fine." As he walked past Trogdor, Blitz gave him the finger and smirked defiantly.

"You better be." Chris whispered, then added offhandedly, "And his name's Jin." Trogdor growled, annoyed by Blitz's behavior.

"Squawk." He motioned the runt lizard, who scurried to his side. "Remember the plan, and take the hidden path to get ahead of him." Squawk nodded and hurried off. All but one did not notice him, but Aurora did.

* * *

Blitz walked for a few minutes, over stalagmites and under stalactites. He had found a few skeletons along the way. He had found a set of ladders leading to the lower caverns. The lower he got, the less and less it look natural and more and more carved out. Several carvings depicting warriors and their last great feats before death were on the walls.

"Sheesh, how much farther do I have to go?" Blitz wondered aloud, brushing back some cobweb. But just as he took another step forward, his foot caught on something, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face. Dust and dirt flew up, causing several small insects to scurry away.

"What the hell?" Blitz cursed, sitting back up. Looking at his feet, he saw a cobweb covered skeleton of a human, with a holey leather jacket, a whip and an old fedora. "Hey cool!" Blitz kipped up and grabbed the fedora, inspecting it in his hands. "I always wanted one of these!" As he put it on, he found that it was a perfect fit. "Now onward!" Blitz strutted off in the direction he was going. Unknown by him, a dark shadow watched him, stalking him waiting for the time strike.

* * *

Back outside the cave, the lizard-men had sat down, knowing that this Trial would take awhile. Many had circled Zugai and Jin, as they had started to play poker with Aeon. Chris was trying to keep Aurora away from her hair, as Aurora was trying to do stuff like comb it and 'pretty it up' and other things like that.

"Please, Aurora, I'm not into that kind of stuff." Chris whined batting away an incoming comb. "Besides, my hair is fine the way it is!"

"Aurora want be helpful." Aurora said, focusing on Chris's head. Or so it seemed. Looking quickly around her to make sure no one was looking or listening, Aurora leaned close to Chris's ear. "Chrissy, listen to Aurora." Aurora's voice was filled with fear and concern, making Chris a little worried. "Trogdor sent Squawk-runt in Cave, try and stop One-Eye. He too sent archers after Jin-Jin during Trial of Mind. He bent on humans losing Trials." Chris gritted her teeth angerly. She knew things were going too easily. "Aurora want Chrissy have these." Chris felt something touch her arm, and as she looked down, she saw two curved blades wrapped in Aurora's tail.

"What are they?" Chris whispered her Aurora, taking the blades in her hand.

"Bro-Bro give Aurora them, safe keeping. They called Deer Horn Knives." Aurora whispered back, her reptilian tongue lashing out and wetting Chris's ear at each S. "Use them when bad things happen. They blessed by spirits, protect wielder and grant speed with grace, strength with ferocity."

"Thank you, Aurora." Chris said, making sure to keep the knives out of sight. "I'll use them well."

"Good. Now, maybe nice clip in small spines, hold them in pretty way…."

"They're called hair, and don't you dare touch them!"

* * *

Within the Cave of Ancient Spirits, Blitz was _still_ walking, with sight of any altar or statuette. He was beginning to think the whole thing was a hoax to cheat him and the others.

"But at least I got a cool hat out of all this." He mused, fingering the brim of his newly acquired hat. But what was strange was that the further he went into the cave, the woozier and lightheaded he got. "Ugh, it's just like that one time that old fart Billy got me to try weed. Never did figure out what happened after that……" Blitz leaned against the cavern wall, trying to catch his breath, but soon trudged on regardless.

Suddenly, the floor beneath him started to crumble and before he could react, it collapsed beneath him, sending him to the cavern level below him.

"EEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!" He screamed, like a little girl, the whole way down, landing very loudly with a THUD on the cold hard stone beneath. "OW!!" he moaned rubbing his now sore backside. "Good thing no one heard that. The others would poke fun at me forever, especially Jen…Jin…whatever." Getting up to his feet, Blitz looked around him, trying to see if there was a way back up. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something glint in the faint light.

The object was a small, foot tall gold lizard with a totem in its claws. It was resting on a small table with bones and steel surrounding it. It was the statuette that he was sent in for!

"Aha! Found you!" Blitz shouted, running towards the altar. He grabbed the statuette, tossed it up in the air once and secured it in one of his pouches. However, just as he turned to leave, he heard a low rumbling sound, which was slowly getting louder. Looking up, he saw just in time…a very large boulder about to fall on top him!

"Aw monkey shit!" Blitz cursed as he started to run. As he ran, the boulder landed where he once stood, and started to roll after him, surprisingly gaining speed. "Crap! This tunnel must be a down slope!" Blitz ran even faster, trying to out run the boulder, when suddenly, a though occurred to him. "Wait a minute……Why is this turning into an Indiana Jones rip-off?!!"

Blitz didn't have much time to dwell on this, however, as he could faintly see an out line of a pit coming up in front of him. He could also see a stalactite above the pit. Thinking quickly, Blitz drew _Equalizer_ and attached his Grapple Shot to it.

"Pistol: Grapple Shot!" The grapple claw shot out, attaching itself on the stalactite firmly. Giving it a quick tug, Blitz jumped off the ledge of the pit, swinging over to the other side. The boulder behind him continued to roll over the side and down the pit.

"There's goes that problem." Blitz wheezed, from both the running and from the air. It was causing him to get even more lightheaded, he was even starting to see double. "Damn, what is up with the air in here?" Blitz grumbled as he trudged forward, hoping to find away out. After awhile, Blitz came to a very large dome area in the cave, with even more tribal carvings than in the other areas. There was only one other opening than the one he came through, and it was at the top of the dome. Fortunately, there was a ladder leading up to it. 'Home free.' Blitz thought, entering the room.

But the moment he entered, a strange sensation over came him, and he dropped to his kneel, feeling weak and even more lightheaded. As he tried to get up to his feet, something strange materialized from the opposite wall. Though his vision was getting blurry, Blitz could have swore it was…a clown? A very creepy clown wearing a bloody apron at that, but one that Blitz knew, if he was a little distorted.

"Dammit, Hannibal. What are you doing here?" Blitz snarled, raising his pistol at him a firing a shot. But Blitz was soon surprised, as the bullet passed right though the clown! "What the hell?"

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk." The clown chuckled, a large butcher knife appearing in his hand. He swiped at Blitz, who rolled away from the attack. Getting back to his feet, if a bit wobbly, Blitz aimed _Equalizer_ again. But from the corner of his vision, another being materialized in the dome room, this time a freaky looking scarecrow with blades protruding from his wrists.

"Shit, Worvil too?" Blitz gritted, not liking his odds now. From behind, he felt the presence of two more. Looking behind him, two men---one freakishly tall the other medium sized---wearing lab coats appeared. Like the clown and the scarecrow, they were distorted and fine details could not be made out, but Blitz knew who they were. "Victor…Billy." Blitz growled.

The four circled him, watching him. Blitz tried to keep his eye on all of them, but his sight was getting worse, seeing triple now. Blitz could feel the effects, but the effects of what, he could not know. Just as he staggered, the four figures attacked, each from a different side. Blitz fired on the one he called Worvil, but just like with Hannibal before, the shot phazed right on through him. Blitz tried to comprehend what was going on, but before he could, the large man Victor came from behind with a large fist reared back for an attack. With his current state, Blitz was unable to dodge, and the punch connected. Blitz stumbled a few feet before collapsing to the ground, mostly from exhaustion rather than the attack.

'Wait a minute…' Blitz thought, looking back at Victor. 'A punch like that should have sent me into the wall, and another room. Yet it felt like I got hit by a 10 year old.' Thinking back to his two failed attacks, he thought, 'And if my shots went right through them then…they're not real…just my imagination. No, hallucinations!' Blitz quickly brought an arm up to his mouth, even though he knew it was too late. 'This part of the cavern was filled with some sort of nonflammable natural gas that making me hallucinate. I couldn't smell it because in civilized communities, gas workers spike the gas so it smells like rotten eggs, naturally made gas would be odorless! This must be the visions Trogdor mentioned. But then what attacked me?'

Before he could figure that out, though, Hannibal made another attack, this time he connected and made a large cut in Blitz's arm. Blitz hissed in pain, clutching his arm. Just then, another thought occurred to him.

'There must be someone in here with me! Didn't Trogdor say that they found a way to stop the 'visions' with special herbs? If so, then one of Trogdor's men must be using them, and taking advantage of me hallucinating to attack. Cowardly bastard!' Blitz suddenly doubled over, hacking and wheezing from the lack of clean air. This was fortunate, as 'Billy' made an attack on Blitz and missed. Blitz then heard something, or rather someone curse.

"Pistol Whip!" Blitz lashed out with the butt of his pistol, striking 'Billy's' leg. 'Billy' fell to the ground, a squawk of pain emitting from him. 'Squawk!' Blitz thought, now knowing what to do. 'If I just let him attack first, I can hit him without having to guess which hallucination he's hiding in!' Blitz wobbly got to his feet, waiting for Squawk to attack. 'Billy' got up and floated away, and a slight shimmer moved from him to 'Victor', who made another run. As he attempted another punch, Blitz snapped out, grabbing 'Victor's' arm and flinging him over his shoulder.

'Victor' collided with the ground, confirming what Blitz knew. The image of 'Victor' floated off a side of the room, as the shimmer moved away from it. Eyeing the shimmer, Blitz aimed _Equalizer_ at it. He took a few shots at it, but due his hampered sight, his aim was a bit wobbly. The shimmer was able to evade most of the shots.

But as luck would have it, one shot grazed the edge of the shimmer, red liquid squirting out. The shimmer shrieked and its movement all but stopped. Blitz took advantage of this and switched out a bullet with the rotation system.

"Pistol: Cryo Shot!" A bolt of blue shot out, connecting with the shimmer. A squawking yelp erupted, the shimmer stopping and becoming a big block of ice.

"Now let's see if you have what I need." Blitz muttered, stumbling over to the ice. As he got to it, he saw that Squawk's head was not covered in ice, and was trying to squirm his way out of the ice. Over his head and snout was a sort of gas mask. Blitz ripped it off and looked inside. Several different green plants were at the very end of the mask, which Blitz guessed were the herbs to keep out the gas. Putting on the mask, Blitz breathed in the scent of the herbs. He could feel strength return to his limbs and his sight returning to normal.

"Thanks, runt." Blitz said, lifting Squawk onto his shoulder. "As thanks, I won't leave you here to die from gaseous asphyxiation." Walking over to the ladder, Blitz made his up to the hole at the top, struggling to keep from dropping Squawk die to his squirming.

At the top, Blitz found himself in one of the cave halls he passed through earlier, a spot before he started to feel the effects of the natural gas. Dragging Squawk up Blitz started to make his way back to the entrance. But after taking only a few feet forward, Blitz felt something tug at his boot. Looking down, he saw that he had tripped a trip-wire trap.

Blitz looked behind him, just in time to see a virtual wall of arrows come streaking towards him!

* * *

The lizard-men and others outside the cave were feeling restless. In the previous Trial they knew how much time was left, and the anticipation kept them revved up. But now there was no time limit, and not knowing if the One-Eyed human was going to make it was frustrating them. Even Zugai, Jin and Aeon got bored with their game, and had started to play rock-paper-scissors to pass the time. Chris and Aurora waited patiently for Blitz to emerge from the cave, if he did. Trogdor stood with a smug look on his face, fairly sure that Blitz would not be coming out alive.

"You humans should give up hope." Trogdor mocked, earning some glares from Chris, Zugai, and Jin. "If your friend doesn't come out soon, the 'visions' will overcome him. Few lizard-men could last this long within the Cave, so a feeble human should be long dead by now."

"'Feeble' is hardly a word I'd use to describe Blitz." Chris said, looking back at the cave. "Cocky, maybe, but not feeble. He's not going to let some stupid superstition get the best of him."

"Damn straight, Red!" a voice from within the cave shouted. Chris knew that voice, and it was the only person who ever calls her that. Out of the Cave and into the light emerged Blitz, a iced and arrow covered Squawk being carried over his shoulder, a small gold statuette in his hand…and a fedora?

"Hey, he lives!" Zugai said, jumping to his feet and jogging over to Blitz, Jin and Aeon right behind him. "What up with the hat?" Zugai eyed the hat questionably.

"Found it." Blitz answered, pushing the brim of the hat up with a finger. "Looks cool, right? With this, I just look even more badass!"

"Sure it does." Jin said, hands on his hips. "So looks like you win, right?"

"That's right." Blitz said, dropping the frozen Squawk and tossing the statuette over to Trogdor, who caught it with one hand. "And that means we get the maps, the girl, and a free ticket out of here! Chris!" Blitz motioned for Chris, "Get your ass over here. On the double, missy!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" Chris shouted, saluting ethusicly and running to finally rejoin her crewmates and Jin. But just as Chris made it half way, Trogdor stomped the ground violently, causing a small tremor that knocked every one off their feet.

"No!!" Trogdor roared, nearly deafening all that heard, "I will not accept this! Humans are inferior, there was no way you could pass the Trials!"

"And yet we did." Chris shot back as she got back to her feet. "Even when you tried to cheat and have your men interfere with the Trials and make us lose, we still won!" The lizard-men all gasped, shocked that their 'glorious' king would ever resort to that thing.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Blitz snorted, "You did nothing but sit on your ass like a stereotypical damsel in distress!" Blitz was answered with a very strong slap to the back of the head.

"Never mind the insignificant details!" Trogdor bellowed, "I demand a new Trial! You must defeat me, King Trogdor! My men are free to join and aid me as they see fit!" Chris, Zugai and Jin, expecting the worst, instantly formed a small circle facing outward, so that none of the lizard-men could sneak up on them. Blitz, however, sat cross-legged and arms crossed, eye half closed.

"And if we refuse?" Blitz asked. All turned to Trogdor, waiting to see him react.

"You don't have a choice, One-Eye!" Trogdor said, flexing hi large muscles. "I am the mightiest of the lizard-men, undefeated and unmatched! You will wish you had failed, for now your deaths will be even more painful!"

"Well ok then." Blitz said nonchalantly, standing up and drawing _Matilda_. "I only got three words for you, then: Bring. It. On!"

* * *

End Chapter

Yeah, Trial of Spirit, Indiana style. I couldn't help my self. The whole thing makes sense, right?

Just an FYI, all those people Blitz 'saw' from the hallucinations will be people that will be seen later in the story. Keep an eye out for them.

Next chapter is the conclusion for this arc, so stay tuned!

Signed--Nezumimaru


	13. Trials Part 6

Among the trees, unseen by anyone, there was a slight shimmer of movement, yet nothing was there. That is, until, a shadowy figure materialized out of thin air. He had been watching the Trials for quite some time, waiting for the right time.

"It appears Trogdor has gotten himself into some trouble." The person, said, the gravely voice revealing him to be a man. "I wonder how he plans on getting out of this one. Would be a nice time to see if the Docs' modifications on him are as good as mine. Not to mention," He peers down at Blitz, who was grinning with both anticipation and defiance at the prospect of a fight. "I would like to see how far he's come after all these years." Crossing his arms, the man leaned against the trunk of the tree, awaiting the up coming battle.

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Trials, Part 6

The Final Trial!

* * *

"Wait!" Aurora shouted out, waving her hands frantically. "Humans can't fight King!" All eyes came upon her, almost begging for her to explain herself. Calming down, Aurora went on. "Human in The Trials like it a gamble match, have been pushing spirits' temper, but fight King afterwards? Great taboo! Only way is for one lizard-man to join humans in fight, for Kingship." Many of the eyes of the lizard-men, Trogdor included, went as wide as dinner plates. For Blitz and company, grins were abound. And almost instantly, Aeon broke from his place in the crowd to stand next to the humans.

"Aeon fight with humans!" He said, latching on a wooden shield to his left arm, and wielding a stone axe in his right hand. "Like father before, Aeon will rule lizard-men!" The lizard-men, further shocked began to balk and chatter amongst themselves. Could he really do that?

"WHAT!?" Trogdor roared, fuming with pure rage. Suddenly, it came to him. "You, you two have been planning on this, haven't you!? Plotting behind my back to usurp my throne!"

"Aeon and Sis-sis have." Aeon replied, "When Aurora see Trogdor cheat, we knew. Knew Trogdor is no king. He a tyrant, no honor, no sense of tradition, no love of lizard-kin. Years, lizard-men _and_ lizard-women suffer. NO MORE! Aeon fights!"

"And Aurora fights!" joined in the female lizard, somehow gaining hold of a stone tipped spear and joining the growing group, side to side with her brother. If Trogdor wasn't absolutely livid before he was now.

"Never! I refuse to fight with my title on the line! That was not part if the original deal!" He snarled furiously. Several lizard-men in the front of the crowd cowered back, terrified the growingly frustrated Trogdor. Even Chris, Jin, and Zugai were starting to get uneasy. Blitz, however, just scoffed.

"Original deal? The 'original deal' was for us to have our friend and our maps back if we won, which we did. And now you're saying we have to fight you? I think the 'original deal' went out the window five minutes ago." Blitz said irritably, glaring at Trogdor. "If you really want to fight us to get what we won back, then you're going to have to do so on our terms. After all, you have nothing to bargain with." He smirked at the end, using the exact wording Trogdor used the night before. Trogdor growled, knowing what Blitz said was true. There was no way out of it now. But there was still a way for him to tip odds in his favor

"Very well. One last Trial. Trogdor and lizard-men vs. Humans and traitor lizard-kin.! Let the battle begin! Warriors, attack!" Trogdor ordered. The warriors were hesitant, unsure if they should comply or not. "NOW!!" Jumping a foot in fright, the warriors franticly picked up their weapons charged with haste.

"Here they come!" Zugai shouted as he braced himself. Blitz took out _Matilda_ and was about to aim when Chris put her arm in front of him, her newly acquired Deer Horn Knives in her grip.

"Let me handle them. I've been dying for a fight all day." Chris said, grinning manically. Blitz said nothing, but lowered _Matilda_ to show that she could go. "Alright!" Chris shouted, rushing the on coming horde of lizard-men. 'I'll show you damsel in distress!' she thought bitterly as she raised her knives to her chest. As the first lizard-man swung down a large club on her, Chris closed her eyes and pirouetted on one foot, spinning away from the attack and to the side of the lizard-man.

"Whirlwind Blades!" Chris shouted, slashing horizontally at the lizard-man's exposed torso. He screeched in pain as he toppled over. Several more lizard-men came at Chris to avenge their fallen brethren, but she was ready. She spun, she ducked, she glided away from each attack, and striking back unhindered with grace and precision, as if her were performing a deadly yet eloquent dance. Many of the lizard-men were felled with a single strike or two of her blades. Her dress flowed with her, rising no higher than her mid-thigh as she twirled with elegance.

Finally, she stretched her arm out wide and performed five consecutive pirouettes, with large blades of force slicing through the air from her knives as she spun. It looked as if she had transformed into a miniature tornado, punishing all within proximity of her. Upon her final pirouette, she came to a stop, arms still our stretched.

'Feh, guess I'll have to tell Grandma I'm sorry for saying I didn't need to learn how to dance.' She thought, as the bottom of her dress floated down slowly to just past her ankles, as more than a dozen lizard-men lay bleeding at her feet.

"Damn." Muttered Blitz as he watched the scene come to an end.

"I know." Jin said, letting out a short whistle. "Chris is one hell of a fighter. She really knows how to take it to 'em."

"Not that." Blitz said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "'Damn' and in 'Damn, the dress didn't go up high enough to show her panties." Jin then proceeded to smack Blitz upside the head so hard, it nearly knocked him over and left a sizable welt on his head. They didn't have much time to rest, however, as two more groups of lizard-men came at them from either side.

"Aurora and Bro-Bro's turn!" said Aurora, gripping her spear as she charged the group coming from the left as Aeon stood his ground before the group on the right. "Shifting Sweep!" Aurora began to spin very rapidly, while at the same time crouching low and holding her spear out wide. She spun right through the thick of the oncoming mass, slashing and tripping all around her, taking their legs right out from under them. Many head cracked on the ground violently and Aurora finished her attack run.

"Pinball Shield!" Aeon spun around once and released his shield like it was a discus. It collided with the skull of a lizard-man, only to ricochet off and strike another in the face. Again and again the shield went bouncing from off various lizard-men's heads and torsos in an unpredictable pattern, none knew where it would go or who it would strike next. As the last lizard-man fell, Aeon caught the shield as it flew pat him, and surveyed the wreckage for any that were brave enough or dumb enough to stand back up.

"Whoa! That was cool!" Blitz exclaimed, looking back and forth between the twin lizards. "You gotta do that again!"

"I had no idea a shield could be used that way." Zugai said, "I didn't even think a shield could stay in the air that long."

"How?!" Trogdor said with furious awe, rage filling his eyes, "How could my great warriors be defeated so easily, by children no less?!"

"Easy, Lizard-Lips." Chris chuckled playfully, causing a tick to appear on Trogdor's forehead, "We're just that much better." Trogdor growled and snorted, no longer able to contain his wrath

"ROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!! BREATH OF THE DRAGON GOD!!!" Trogdor breathed in as mush air as he could, and as he breathed out, a humongous fireball erupted from his maw, roaring through the air at Blitz and the others.

"Hit the dirt!" Blitz shouted, grabbing Jin and Blitz and dove to the ground. They managed to dodge in time, though Blitz's fedora was not as fortunate. "AHH! My fedora!" Blitz yanked it off his head, the top of it burned to ashes, leaving the brim with a smoldering center circle. "My poor hat…it was going to be my icon…" Blitz blubbered, tears rolling down his face in an overdramatic fashion.

"Forget the hat, we've got bigger things to worry about!" said Zugai, pulling Blitz to his feet. As soon Blitz was stable on his feet, Zugai took Honehakaisha in hand and dashed towards Trogdor. "Bone Hewer!" Zugai shouted, drawing his laybrs back like a baseball bat, and stepping into the attack, swung with all his might at Trogdor's mid-section. But Trogdor would not allow him to finish through with the attack.

"Seismic Tail!" Trogdor whipped around, slamming Zugai with his broad tail, sending him flying back several feet. Blitz watched Zugai as he sailed over him, and as he landed with a THUD near the mouth of the cave.

"So…how'd that go for you?" Blitz asked innocently.

"Not well." Zugai answered honestly, picking him self up.

"Here, let me take a crack at it." Jin said stretching him arms. "Mizu Mizu No Pistol!" Jin put his arms together, blasting a large stream of hydro force at Trogdor. Trogdor simply crossed his arms and stood without moving a muscle, the water beating harmlessly against his scale covered chest. Seeing that his attack had no effect, Jin stopped his assault, and as soon as he did, Trogdor stomped the ground with all his might.

"Earth Serpent Tremor!" An immense tremor shook the ground, causing a section of earth beneath Jin to rise up suddenly, launching him into the air and landing hard next to Zugai.

"Hmm." Blitz hummed, rubbing his chin. "It appears that brute force is not going to work against this brute. Ok, try this," he drew _Dragon's Roar_ and aimed it at Trogdor, "Cannon: Cryo Shot!" As he fired, a bolt of blue streaked towards Trogdor, encasing his entire form in a case of ice. "No we get 'im!" Blitz cried, almost running up to crack the lizard-man's head off. Almost. Before he could take a step forward, a crack appeared in the ice, then another one, then another one, until Trogdor broke free from his icy prison, shattering ice shards in all directions.

"You guys suck." Chris said blankly. Blitz, Jin and Zugai slumped over with depression.

"Hey, we're trying." They all whined pathetically. This minor distraction gave Trogdor and opportunity to attack.

"Dragon's Talons!" Trogdor charged the group and jumped into the air, slicing down with his large claws. Wide eyes adorned the faces of our heroes, as they began to flail their limbs hysterically.

"Scatter!" Blitz ordered, which the other didn't need to be told twice. They all fled opposite directions, as Trogdor connected with the ground, cutting large slash marks into ground. Had any been where he hit, they would more cut up than a Thanksgiving Turkey. Zugai strengthen his grip as Blitz peer around hiding spot behind a tree.

"Any bright ideas, oh fearless leader?" Zugai asked sarcastically. Blitz flipped him the bird before answering.

"Well, we could double team him," Blitz said, rubbing his chin, "like they do in the mangas."

"News flash, genius: We're not in a manga." Chris chided from her spot behind a pile of unconscious lizard-men.

"Well we could be." Blitz said, with a sort of matter-of-fact tone. Aeon, not one for waiting too long to attack, launched himself at Trogdor from the side, his arm coiled back for a strike.

"Boomerang Axe!" He shouted, throwing his axe at Trogdor. Trogdor huffed and easily dodged the attack by leading back slightly, the axe whizzing past him.

"Missed." Trogdor taunted, confident that Aeon was now weaponless. However, Aeon's smirk and the continued whizzing of the axe soon caused Trogdor to frown in puzzlement. Turning around, he saw that the axe had turned in mid-air, just like a boomerang and was heading back at him. This time Trogdor had no time to move, and the axe struck his face, creating a large cut to appear crossing his face, from above his left eyebrow to across the bridge of his nose and ending just below his right eye. Aeon caught his axe just as Trogdor regained his footing, as the attack caused him to stumble. Reaching up to feel the wound, Trogdor felt a liquid-y substance trickle down his face and on to his hand. Bringing his hand away, he saw that the liquid was blood! His scaled hide was pierced! This never happened before!

"RRRRROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!!!!!!" Trogdor roared in rage and pain, shaking the very trees to their roots. "BREATH OF THE DRAGON GOD!!!" Trogdor let loose another fireball, this one even bigger than before, aimed straight towards Aeon. Aeon was panic stricken, unable to move. All he could do was cross his arms in front of him, even though he knew that would not be enough to block the massive fireball.

"Mizu Mizu No Geyser!" Aeon opened his eyes, to see Jin in front of him, his arms and upper torso turned into water, a furious water blast erupting from him that was turning the fire into harmless steam. As the last of the flames subsided, Jin's body returned to normal, a confident grin on his face.

"You're going to have to cut that out now. I'm a bit of a firefighter." Jin said smugly, using two fingers to motion Trogdor to come at him. Growling ferociously, Trogdor rushed at Jin, claws at the ready to tear the little human to so many pieces, they would not be able to reform.

"Double Fang!" Trogdor looked above him at these words, and saw Chris and Aurora lunging at him from the tree branches. It was a trap! Trogdor instinctively jumped back, Chris's and Aurora's attacks missing. But his retreat found him no solace, as Blitz was waiting with_ Dragon's Roar_.

"Cannon: Inferno Shot!" A large burst of crimson come exploded from the cannon, and roared towards Trogdor, who was engulfed in flames. "Now how do you like it?" Blitz shouted, resting his cannon on his shoulder. "Not fun when you're not the one getting burned, is it, you overgrown wallet!" But the flames did not seem to bother Trogdor much, as he simply spun around one, the motion dispelling the flames.

"You're attacks aren't doing much, Blitz!" Jin yelled at him, somehow getting within a foot of Blitz.

"I guess I'll just have to _do_ something about it then." Blitz said sinisterly. He then grabbed Jin by the collar of his shirt, and while struggling to keep Jin from getting free, Blitz loaded Jin into the cannon opening like a human harpoon before aiming at Trogdor, who had gotten preoccupied by the lizard-twins. "Cannon: Mizu Mizu Shot!" With a loud detonation, Jin was propelled from the cannon, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" Jin screamed as he flew through the air towards Trogdor. "Now I know what a bullet feels like!!" 'Ok no time to panic,' he thought, closing his eyes to calm himself, 'Just think back to training…"

* * *

Jin thought back to year past, long before he ate the Mizu Mizu No Mi, back when he was just a small child and training with his father somewhere in the woods.

"Now son," his father said to him, unaware that Young Jin was not paying attention, rather looking in a different direction. "If you ever find yourself being propelled from cannon at some Kami forbidden monster, this is what you must do. First, you…Are you even paying attention to me?"

"Kinda." Young Jin answered, partially distracted by what ever had engrossed him. His father knelt down to his height and looked in the direction Young Jin was. When he saw it, his jaw dropped all the way to the ground.

From a gap between the bushes, one could see a hot spring, with several bikini-clad young women enjoying themselves, totally oblivious to the fact that they were being watched.

"Jin," his father said, patting him on the shoulder, "that's a kind of training we won't be covering for quite some time…"

* * *

'Damn you wasted youth! Damn you I say!' Jin thought, berating himself for not paying closer attention to his training. 'Well, I'll just have to improvise.' Thinking quickly, Jin curled up into a ball, forming several watery points all over his body, turning him into a spiked cannonball.

"Mizu Mizu No Cannonball!" Jin shouted, finally catching the attention of Trogdor. The monstrous reptile turned around just in time for Jin to collide into his chest, knocking most of the wind out of him. As Trogdor stumbled back and Jin landed on his feet, Zugai came up with an idea. Whistling over to Chris, he motioned her over to him.

"Your turn, Chris!" He shouted rearing back Honehakaisha. Chris nodded, understanding what he meant, and ran towards him. Just before she reached him, Chris jumped into the air, while Zugai swung his axe, the flat side facing Chris. "Honehaskaisha Nakama Launcher!" Zugai shouted, as Chris's feet made contact with the flat side of his axe. The combined force of him swinging upward with her jumping off the axe, Zugai effectively launched Chris into the air and bolting towards the barely stable Trogdor.

"Buzzsaw Knives!" Chris began to rotate vertically; creating a buzzsaw effect as she flew threw the air. Trogdor barely had time to react, raising his arm in front of him in an attempt to stop the attack. The best it did was deflect Chris, though not with out causing some serious damage to his arm. The force knocked him forward, right into an incoming Aurora.

"Spear Thrust!" Aurora gripped her spear and thrust with all her might. Her attack skewered Trogdor right through the shoulder, causing him to roar in pain. Aurora pushed him back, though as he got further away, she had to abandon her spear, leaving it in Trogdor's shoulder.

"Bone Hewer!"

"Rifle Grand Slam!" Zugai and Blitz charged right at the off-kilter and suffering Trogdor, Zugai striking with Honehaskai and Blitz bashing with _Matilda_ into Trogdor's mid-section. This attack gave an opening to Aeon that he used well. Aeon somersaulted in the air, thumping into Trogdor's chest, finally knocking the giant lizard off his feet. But Aeon used Trogdor's chest as a springboard, jumping higher in the air above Trogdor. As he descended face first, Aeon began to twist and spin, rotating like a powerful drill as he came down on his foe.

"Critical Finish!" Aeon shouted as he landed on Trogdor, his drill like motion adding even more pain and damage to the attack. Trogdor gasped in pain, his reptilian eyes rolling back into his head, before it crashed back down on the ground, motionless save for a twitch of a finger here or there.

Aeon huffed as he looked at Trogdor's defeated form, tuckered out from all the fighting. Suddenly, he sensed movement all around him. Looking around, he saw that his lizard-kin were regaining consciousness. Many could not believe their eyes, that the mighty Trogdor could be beaten. Aeon was unsure of what to do, when Blitz grabbed him by the wrist and held his arm up high.

"Humans and lizard-men!" Blitz shouted, much like an announcer, "Here is your winner, and new Lizard King: AEON!!" The lizard-men looked and each other for a few moments, seeing what the others did, before they all erupted in to cheer. Aeon was a little taken back, but it was soon replaced by a big, lizard smile. His brethren may not realize it, but they were now free again.

"King Bro-Bro!" Aurora cried, as she glomped Aeon, tackling him to the ground. "Bro-Bro did it! Lizard-kin no listen to Trogdor no more!" She said, hugging her brother tightly. Aeon returned the hug, in a loving sibling kind of way. Blitz and the others stood before the cheers, basking in the glory, and relieved that the fighting was over. Chris walked over Trogdor, who was drooling as the corner of his mouth.

"Take that!" Chris said, kicking Trogdor's head hard. "That's for forcing me to wear a dress!"

* * *

High above them in the trees, the mysterious man still stood, watching as the lizard-men went over to carry their new king and champions in celebration, and carrying the former king away, presumably the dungeon.

"So the brat won, huh?" the man said to himself, ignoring a fly that was buzzing near his head. "Though with a bit of help from his little friends. Had he been alone, would he have fared as fell?" As the buzzing fly came closer, a long sticky tongue shot out from the man's mouth, catching the fly and allowing him to swallow it whole. "Feh, no matter. Guess I'll be needing to perform a jailbreak, anyway." With that, the man slowly faded from view, and a shimmer of light floated down the tree.

* * *

An hour later, Blitz, friends, and lizard-men stood on the shore of the island in front of the Howling Moon. Chris had changed back to her normal clothes, though Aurora insisted that they keep the dress, as it fit her so well and the lizard-women…not so much. Chris held the box with the dress, while Jin held the box that contained his maps.

"Must friends leave so soon?" Aeon asked, "Aeon like it if humans stay for ceremony, and celebration."

"As would we." Blitz said, rubbing the back of his head, "But we really must be getting going. If we don't, then we'll have to wait until tomorrow for the conditions to be right for us to sail out."

"He's right." Jin said, wetting a finger in his mouth and testing the wind. "Such perfect conditions come rarely, so we might as well use it," Aeon nodded understandingly. Aurora walked up to the humans, four necklaces in her hand.

"Luck and blessing from the spirits." She saw, holding one up to Chris. Chris lowered her head so that Aurora could place the necklace around her. It was a simple string of leather, with a stone carving of a tiger on it. "Let spirit of tiger, graceful and deadly, protect Chrissy." For Jin, the necklace had a carving of a sort of fish. "Let spirit of dolphin, playful yet tough, protect Jin-Jin." To Zugai, she gave one with a carving of a bear. "Let spirit of bear, powerful and protective, protect Zuggy." To Blitz, a carving of a bird. "Let spirit of raven, wise but mischievous, protect One-Eye." The four bowed respectfully, thanking Aurora for her gift.

"We're going to miss you." Chris said, giving Aurora a farewell hug. "Thanks for everything." Aurora hugged back affectionately, saying that she will miss them as well.

"Oh, the lewd comments I could make right now," Blitz said, smirking impishly. This earned him a bop on the head by Jin and Zugai. Waving their final goodbyes, the humans sail away into the great blue yonder, the island getting smaller and smaller.

"Now that that's all over," Blitz said, turning to Jin, "After seeing what you can do and are capable of, I, Battle Master Blitz, offer you an invitation to join our crew. What say you?" Blitz placed his hands on his hips as he spoke, looking very professional and dramatic.

"Well, I could join," Jin said, "But you have to do something first." He then reached his hand out for a shake.

"Which is?" Blitz asked, as if he didn't know, as he took his hand.

"STOP CALLING ME JEN!! MY NAME IS JIN!!" Jin shouted, pointing at himself for emphasis. Blitz chuckled and shook Jin hand.

"You got it, Jim." Smoke fumed from Jin's ears as his eyes turned red. But Blitz did not seem to notice, in fact, he began to laugh. "Just messing with you Jin! Welcome aboard!" Blitz began to walk past Jin, patting him on the shoulder. "Only rule is: Don't go into the Captain's Quarters without asking." Jin sighed in frustration. This was going to be a long cruise.

* * *

Deep within the Lizard Keep, Trogdor and Squawk sat within a large, barred cell, lit only by a single torch from the outside. Why was Squawk in there? Because no one like him. Both he and Trogdor were tied with a very special vine. It was as strong as steel, and though Trogdor could easily break out of them if it were one or two, but 5 were used to tied him up, so he cold not escape. Fuming his loss, Trogdor grumble of ways to get out and gain revenge.

Suddenly, a shimmer appeared next to a lizard-man who was guarding the cell. In a spit second, the guard's neck was snapped by an unseen force. Trogdor blinked as the guard fell to the ground dead, and as he opened his eyes, a man stood before the cell, though he was not there a second ago.

"You…" Trogdor breathed, surprised to see the man there, "Why are you here…Cameron Leon?" The man stepped into the light, revealing a man in his late twenties, wearing a blue bandana that was lowered, making it seemed like he was wearing a mask with a few brown strands of hair poking out from under it, as well as wearing a blue vest, jeans and black sandals. He wore no shirt under his vest, show well-toned greenish skin. A long green tongue lashed out occasionally like a sort of snake or other reptile.

"Why else but to bust your sorry ass out, 'Crocodile Dundee'." The man, now indentified as Leon, said. Picking up a set of keys from the dead guard, Leon opened the cell door and walked over to Trogdor and Squawk. With a quick flick of his wrist Leon cut the vine with seemingly little effort, despite their strength. Freed from his bonds, Trogdor rubbed the feeling back to his wrists, as Squawk scurried behind him.

"That can't be the only thing, Leon." Trogdor said bitterly, "Your masters must have sent you to pick up another of my men for their experiments, much like what they did with me."

"True," Leon replied bluntly, "But you came willingly to us, as apposed to your men being forced to by you."

"It is so they can be improved, to create super-soldiers for my army." Trogdor said, "But I begin to doubt your masters' capabilities now, their _improvements_ to my body were worthless! I was defeated by a group of brats, human brats no less!"

"Yes, I saw that." Leon said, turning to leave. "The Docs' won't be to happy that their work was not enough, but I'm sure they'll be more than willing to give you an upgrade, if you come with me, that is." Trogdor nodded, and followed Leon out, Squawk scurrying with so as not to be left behind.

'You may be powerful, and get only stronger,' Leon thought as they made their way out of the dungeons, 'But with all your might, your pride…you are still noting more than our guinea pig.' As they passed another torch, the nap of Leon's neck was illuminated, revealing a tattoo.

A tattoo of a purple bat, with a single red and black eye.

* * *

End Chapter

Sorry for the delay, I wanted to update this Friday night, but there were complications with the document manger. Anywho…

W00T! Longest chapter yet, me thinks. But I really wanted to get all of this down so we could move on to the next arc. But this was a good one. During this arc, the story of Neo One Piece broke the 100 review mark. Huzzah!! Now on to the next one.

And any fellow writers who use any of the same characters in this story, feel free to use any attack I've used that you haven't.

Anyway roster:

Captain: Blitz

First Mate: Chris Hopkins

Shipwright: Zugai Hibiware

Navigator: Jinketsu "Jin" Namura

Signed--Nezumimaru


	14. Carnival Part 1

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Time, Part 1

Search for a Cook!

* * *

Jin laid out on the deck of the Howling Moon, his orange jacket neatly folded next to him, leaving his well-tone upper torso bare. The vibrant light of the sun warmed his body as a slight breeze kept him from overheating. A small smile crept onto Jin's face as he basked in the sunlight, he eyes closed. With only a few fluffy clouds drifting leisurely though the sky, it truly was a perfect day to be outside.

Suddenly, the light shining through his eyelids faded and left him in darkness, as if something started to shade his face. Still feeling warmth over the rest of his body, Jin concluded that it wasn't a cloud covering the sun.

"What gives, who turned off the light?" Jin asked lazily, cracking open a single eye. As he opened, he saw that what was blocking the sun was…a boot? And just as Jin realized what was going on, said boot came smashing down upon his head, splattering water all over the deck. Jin's headless body sat straight up, the splattered water returning to reform his head. As soon as Jin's eyes were back, he glared up at the perpetrator, who was none other than his new captain, that one-eyed bastard Blitz.

"What the hell, Blitz! What was that for?!" Jin yelled, jumping to his feet. He simply furious that Blitz not only interrupted his sunbathing, but that he did so by stomping on his face! Furious enough to overlook the fact that Blitz seemed just as irritated.

"Because you're not working, like you're supposed to!" Blitz shouted back, getting right up to his face. "I told you to keep us on course, and yet the only 'work' you're doing is working on your tan line!"

"With conditions like these," Jin shot back waving his hand toward the calm blue sea, "the ship's not going to deviate from course any time soon, so I was taking break!"

"You've haven't been working for more than five minutes!" Blitz retorted, flailing his arms up and down. "At least Zugai is doing some thing productive," Blitz pointed over to a door marked 'kitchen', "he's making us lunch!" Just as he finished his sentence, a very loud explosion could be heard, nearly ripping the door Blitz was pointing at off its hinges. "Which he will NOT be doing ever again. Dammit, Zugai!" Smoke billowed out of the kitchen door as Zugai stepped out.

"*Hack*,*hack*,*hack*!" he coughed, waving the smoke away from him. "That did not go as I planned…" At this moment, Chris bolted out of a different door, marked 'Girl's Quarters', her red hair dripping wet.

"I heard an explosion, what happened?" she asked, huffing from her brief run. The three boys just looked at her, Jin and Zugai turning tomato red while Blitz grinned from ear to ear. "What?" Confused, Chris looked down at her self. When she saw what they did, she turned even redder. She just remembered that she was just in the shower, and in her haste to investigate the explosion, had only a wet towel wrapped around her.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!" Screeching louder than a banshee, Chris ran back into the girl's dorms like the devil was on her heels.

"It's been more than two days since we left Lizard-man Island," Jin spoke, wiping the blood from his trickling nose, "and she's still showering three times a day?"

"Claims she still smells like lizard." Zugai said, sticking two ripped pieces of tissue in his nostrils. "Something about the scent bringing back bad images."

"Wusses, all of you." Blitz said, finally managing a straight smile. "Chris for worrying about how she smells, (and getting embarrassing about being seen in nothing but a towel) and you two for getting excited by something so tame and innocent." Zugai and Jin gawked at him, stunned at what he just said. That was tame and innocent?

"Ok, I'm decent." Chris said, stepping out from the girl's dorms yet again, only this time she was dressed in her normal attire. "Now could someone please tell me why there was an explosion a little while ago?"

"Good question, Towel Girl." Blitz said, earning a shoe thrown into his face. "That's something we all want t know. Zugai?" Three pairs of eyes turned to the tall shipwright, who grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"I was…just making…stew." Zugai stammered out. Silence filled the air as the others absorbed this information, trying to comprehend a seemingly impossible scenario.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU BLOW UP STEW?!?!" They all screamed at once, nearly causing Zugai to lose his footing from the sheer volume alone.

"Um, very carelessly?" Zugai suggested, an arm and leg raised up in a defensive manner. Sighing, Blitz turned to the bow of the ship, toward the horizon.

"Looks like we're going to need to find a chef at our next stop, of else we aren't going to last very long." Blitz said, his voice slight with concern. "Jin, how much longer until the next island?"

"About six hour, give or take thirty minutes." Jin replied, scratching his head. "Either way, we won't be getting there until supper time."

"Good. Zugai, after you clean up the mess you've made, you are banned from entering the kitchen unless to do repairs." Blitz said. Zugai slumped over in disappointment. "Wet-And-Wild, you're on kitchen duty until further notice." Chris grumbled, a sizable tick mark appearing on her temple to show she resented her new nickname. "Jin, put your jacket back on, you look like a stoned surfer."

"No," Jin said, puffing his chest proudly, "I LIKE the feeling of a cool breeze over my bare chest, thank you very much." Blitz sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose. Then, with out warning, Blitz drew _Equalizer_ and fired a round into Jin's chest, making a very big hole dripping water and knocking Jin flat on his ass.

"There, now you can feel the breeze _through_ your chest, too. Now put your jacket back on, or am I going to have to shoot you again?" Blitz threatened, twirling _Equalizer_ around his finger. Grumbling, Jin got back to his feet, the hole in his chest filling back up, and picked up hi jacket. Jin walked as he put his jacket back on, heading inside where his maps where. Zugai, still slumped, trudged along side Chris to clean up the mess in the kitchen. Blitz sighed once again, and gazed up at the clear sky. Being a captain was harder than it looked.

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Blitz asked in disbelief at the farce before him. Between the Battle Master Pirates and the island Jin had identified as Carkan Island, was an entire fleet of ships of varying shapes and sizes, all with different flags and emblems, blocking every possible entrance to the port.

"Wow, something big must be going on." Jin stated, tilting his head as he look on at the spectacle.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Chris said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes. Blitz fumed, grumbling a multitude of curse words under his breath, as a small black storm cloud hung directly over his head.

"Where's the horn on this tub? I want to honk rudely at them." Blitz asked crudely as he made his way up to the ship's steering wheel.

"We…don't have a horn." Zugai said slowly, confused at what Blitz said. Blitz looked at him like he had grown a third head.

"Don't have a horn?" Blitz repeated, making sure he heard that right. As Zugai nodded his head, Blitz asked, "Well, do we have a bell?"

"No."

"A whistle?"

"Nope."

"A frikkin' kazoo?" Zugai paused, pushing his thumb into his chin as he pondered, looked back up at Blitz when he had at last thought of something.

"I got a flute, will that work?" he asked sincerely, causing Jin and Chris to faceplant behind him. Blitz smacked his head in frustration.

"Yes, a flute will work _perfectly_. We can play them a freaking _lullaby_." Blitz said sardonically, leaning against the railing as he glared at the traffic jam of ships before him. Why did this kind of thing have to happen now?

"Why are you so cranky, anyway?" Chris asked, walking over to his side and hopping up to sit on the railing. "It's just another island, we have no real hurry." Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound filled the air, similar to that of a feral bear.

"Captain needs food badly." Blitz complained, drooping over the railing as his stomach continued to rumble pathetically.

"As does navigator." Jin chimed in, rubbing his own stomach. "Having no lunch today was really bad plan after all." Zugai and Chris slumped over in shame.

"We said we were sorry for not getting the kitchen clean fast enough." They said, voices filled with depression. Suddenly, a voice calling out to them brought them out of their depression, drawing their attention starboard.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, excuse me!" a short spindly man on a small sail boat shouted towards them, waving his arm vigorously. He wore a red and white striped shirt, white pants and a blond handlebar mustache. "Please follow me, please!" The pirates looked at each other for a moment and shrugged. Following him was probably more productive than sitting around waiting for a docking place.

* * *

A few minutes later, the little man led the crew to a smaller dock on another side of the island, this one less populated than the previous one.

"I apologize for the waiting, I apologize greatly!" the little man said, bowing several time as he and the pirates stood on the dock. "The main docks are currently being used by the Amazing World Carnival Troupe. We have been hired by the local town for their annual carnival celebrating their founding many years ago."

"So that's what that was all about." Zugai said, looking back at the direction that they came from. Chris's eyes grew and began to sparkle, failing to resist the urge to grin like an idiot.

"A carnival?" she asked, her voice full of excitement. "Like with games and amusements and stuff?"

"Oh yes," the small man said, nodding and smile ethusicly, "We of the Amazing World Carnival Troupe host a multitude of fun games for all ages, as well as various entertainers and sideshows. And as a request of the townsfolk of Carkan, the annual Carkan Cooking Contest!" As he mentioned the Contest, he stretched his arms out and shook his hands in jazz fashion.

"I LOVE CARNIVALS!!" Chris squealed, jumping up and down animatedly, causing her companions to be slightly concerned and greatly creeped out. Chris turned instantly to Blitz, getting right into his face, her own face aglow. "Can we go can we go can we go can we go can we can we can we?!" Blitz leaned back slightly, to create some distance between them. He glanced over to Jin and Zugai.

"Ok, who spiked her breakfast with Speed?" he asked sarcastically, earning a few shakes of his crew member's heads before looking back to the still hyper Chris. "We can go…"

"YAY!!"

"ONLY if you calm down and promise to behave like an adult, rather than a six year old." Blitz finished, clasping his hand on Chris's shoulders in an attempt to keep her from jumping. Chris stopped jumping, but was breathing very rapidly. "Ok, just take a few deep breaths, don't want to hyperventilate." Chris complied, taking a few quick deep breaths before slowing down to normal levels.

"Spaz much, Chris?" Jin asked, as he and Zugai sweatdropped at her childish antics. Chris stuck her tongue out at him and blew, creating a farting sound. "Oh, yeah, real mature."

"Um, there are still a few hotels left in town with vacancy, good sirs." The carnival man said, sweating a bit. "One of them is very close, only a few blocks down the street. You can stay there until the carnival opens tomorrow."

"Thanks, we take a look." Blitz said, walking past him to the town, he crew following close behind him.

* * *

In a dark, undisclosed location, a small lamp shone on a small desk, the only light in the room. It shone on a piece of paper with several scribbles and scrawling, with little linear order. A single man sat at the desk, who continue to write on the paper 'til there was no more room, chuckling to himself all the while.

"Soon, very soon," The man said to himself, his sharp pointy teeth shining in the light. "My plans will come to fruition. I will the most feared man in the entire world! Riches, fame, women, all of it will be mine! Mine! MINE! Ahahahahahahahahaha!" Suddenly the light came on in the room, revealing the man's appearance. He had pale skin with red hair tied in two ponytails, wearing green shoes, grey pants, and a strange piece of white fur attached to his back by two leather straps crossing his torso. He pink eyes shrunk with the unexpected light coming on, causing him to yelp and rub his eyes.

"Kaiz! What are you doing?" A much larger, black skinned man with bulging muscles stood in the doorway, wearing a red and white striped muscle shirt and white pants. He had one hand on a light switch and one holding a broom, a large tick on his head. "I told you an hour ago to clean the carnival area! People aren't going to enjoy themselves if their walking on dirty streets!" He threw the broom at Kaiz, who barely caught it in time, nearly dropping the broom. "NOW GET TO WORK! Or else I'm leaving your ass on the next deserted island we come across, like the one we found you on!"

"Yes, Mark. I'll get right on it." Kaiz mumbled, getting up out of his chair and stretching his legs. Mark shook his head in frustration and left the room, his voice could be heard as he started yelling at someone else. Kaiz lowered his head, eyes filled with resentment. "Oh trust me, as soon as I get what I need, you will be the first to die. And it _will_ be as painful as possible."

* * *

Blitz, Chris, Zugai and Jin soon found themselves in a dirty old tavern with only a few other patrons. They sat at a booth half way from the entrance and the opposite wall, waiting for their orders to be delivered.

"I can see why this place is still has rooms available." Zugai whispered, scanning the rest of the bar. Many of the patrons were either really old, or looked like they were on the wrong side of the law. "We'd be better off sleeping back on the ship. Free, and less likely of getting mugged."

"Agreed." Blitz said, twirling a fork with slightly warped tongs in his hand. "We don't really have that much money, anyway. So we should also dine and dash, so we save as much as we can." Just as he finished, a heavy set man with a greasy apron walked up to their table, carrying a large platter full of food.

"Ok, we've got the Hero Sub sandwich, extra tomato," He said, placing the sandwich in front of Jin, "one beef steak, well done," he place the steak in front of Zugai, "a…burger with orange slices," this went to Chris, "and one plate of baby back ribs." Blitz received this plate, drooling slightly at the sight of the delicious looking meat before him. "Enjoy." The waiter said unenthusiastically, walking back to the kitchen.

"Let's dig in!" Blitz said, diving right into his rib dinner. The other watched in amazement at Blitz's total lack of eating etiquette, snarfing down bite after bite. They began to eat their individual food slowly, still watching Blitz in awe. Blitz only stopped once, feeling the eyes of not only his crewmates, but that of the rest of the tavern. Turning his head to face other patrons, Blitz gave them a glare and a growl.

"Wot're you lookin' at?" he growl with his mouth full of food. The bystanders went back to what they were doing, eating, drinking or chatting. Blitz continued to glare for a few moments before resuming to eat he dish, finishing in a matter of minutes.

"AH! Best meal I ever had!" Blitz exclaimed, patting his stomach. As the plump waiter passed them, Blitz waved him down to get his attention. "Yo, waiter, make sure to that the chef gets my compliments!" The waiter gave him a thumbs-up and continued to serve the other patrons. As soon as the waiter was distracted taking orders, Blitz leaned over the table to whisper to his companions. "Ok, as soon as you guys are done, we start for the door, got it?" The others nodded, if a little hesitantly. They weren't all too sure about doing something so…amoral.

Just as Chris, Jin, and Zugai took their last bite of food, Blitz slinked out of his seat and crept to the door, trying to get out without notice.

"Hold up there, kid." Blitz froze in mid-step, as if fearing the next step would trigger an invisible land mine. Turning around, Blitz came face-to-face with the large waiter, who was sporting a tick of annoyance on his brow. "You weren't thinking of leaving without paying…were you?" He leaned in close, getting within an inch of Blitz's face. Blitz could smell the cigarette smoke and whiskey on the man's breath.

"What if I was?" Blitz said snidely, reaching for his Bowie Knife at his hip………

* * *

In only a mere few minutes, Blitz and the others found themselves in the kitchen, washing dishes. Blitz himself was sporting several bruises and bumps all over his head, grumbling as he placed dirty dishes in the soapy water and scrubbed them. The waiter, who turned out to also be the owner, watched them from the doorway, making sure that none of them bolted.

"Oh, yeah, nice plan Blitz." Zugai muttered, wiping a cloth over a plate. "Dine and dash, huh? Didn't work so well."

"How was I supposed to know the guy was a former boxing champ?" Blitz muttered back, "And it would have worked if you guys had actually helped."

"And get in more trouble?" Jin shot back, as he shot a stream of water from his finger at a bowl, rinsing it off. "We can't just throw our weight around; we'll get run out of town before we get to enjoy the carnival. And do you want to deal with a depressed and disappointed Chris?" The three boys looked over at Chris, who stood at the end with a very large stack of clean dishes. Chris was just finishing on the last plate of the stack she was tasked with, wiping it with a cloth.

"And I told Grandma I didn't need to learn how to clean dishes." Chris said under her breath. The boys looked at her and her work in awe, before looking at each other.

"Just how much did her Grandma teach her?" Jin whispered to Zugai, who could only shrug.

"Hey, Mr. Loku, I'll keep on these guys now." A young deep voice from outside the room said, getting the attention of every one in the room. "You need to get back to the regulars."

"Yeah, sure." Loku said, making his way from the room. Turning to Blitz he said, "Now you can give the chef your compliments yourself." He left with a chuckle, and another person entered the room.

He appeared to be a fishman, standing taller than even Zugai and very muscle bound. His skin was pitch-black, save for some white marks around his eyes and on his belly, with fins on his arms and back of his neck. He wore a tacky yellow and blue Hawaiian shirt with matching long swimming trunks.

"Hi, my name's Gonzo, I'll be your prison guard for this evening." He said with a smile and a laugh. He appeared to be a very friendly person, giving the young pirates some ease.

"I take it that you're the chef, huh?" Blitz said, continuing to wash dishes. "I have to say, you're one hell of a cook. What's a guy of your caliber working in a dump like this?" The other three gawked at him for his rudeness, but Gonzo just laughed it off.

"Oh gives me a place to work until I can find a ship heading to the Grandline, I'm starting to miss home." Gonzo said, leaning on the door frame. Blitz perked up at this and turned to face Gonzo.

"Really now, is that so?" Blitz asked, gaining a nod from Gonzo, "Well, tell you what, if you want you can sail with us. We plan to head to the Grandline, but we are in need of a cook, right guys?" Chris, Jin and Zugai nodded, grinning at the prospect of getting a cook on board. Gonzo rubbed his chin in thought.

"Well, I'm going to enter the Carkan Cooking Contest tomorrow, but after the carnival, I think I can go. So yeah, I'll join after the carnival is over." Blitz and the others beamed, please with the simplicity of the answer. "But you guys are going to have to finish up covering your debt. I have to stay up with you all night if I have to, and if I in the first round due to lack of sleep, you can throw your invitation out the window." The four jumped nearly a foot, startled, before turning back to the dirty dishes, working at double speed. Gonzo grinned, relaxing as he watched. Now he didn't have to watch them for very long.

* * *

End Chapter.

Well, I'm rather pleased with how this one went. As thus we start a new arc, and hopefully a new crew mate.

Kaiz was brought to you be **Lonely Ghost666**, and Gonzo was by **Sam in the Dark**.

But what exactly does Kaiz have planned? Stay tuned to find out.

Signed--Nezumimaru


	15. Carnival Part 2

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Time Part 2

Fun At The Carnival

* * *

Morning had finally come to the island of Carkan, the sun rising slowing over the horizon. As its light began to shine on the streets of the town, one could see various stalls and platforms lining the wide streets, each with varying shades of red, blue and purple. Giggling children could be heard from the homes of the townsfolk, the young ones waiting eagerly for the day, and the carnival, to begin. From Loku's Tavern emerged five figures, each ready to start the day.

"Well, that was a good night's sleep!" Blitz yawned, stretching his arms in the morning light. "Could have done without the rude awakening, though."

"Sorry, Blitz." Chris said apologetically, scratching the side of her nose. "But I wanted to make sure we all awake in time for the opening of the carnival."

"Yeah, but why did _I_ have to get up with you?" yawned Gonzo, who placed a hand in front of his mouth. "It's 6 in the morning. The Cooking Contest isn't until noon. I could have slept another…four hours before I needed to get ready." Chris turned to him and stuck her tongue out.

"You could have gone back to bed, you know. It's not MY fault we all had to share the same room in the cellar!" She said, pointing her thumb at Blitz, who placed his hand over his chest in feign shock.

"Oh, so it's my fault is it? I'll have you know…" Blitz stopped and placed his hand on his chin before continuing. "Ok, maybe it was my fault. But at least we got free food and board, right?" Chris, Zugai, and Jin glared daggers at Blitz.

"I would hardly call having to work in the kitchen until ten at night _free_." Jin remarked, causing a large sweatdrop to appear on Blitz's head. "But nonetheless, I guess it could be considered a valuable lesson to all of us." Chris and Zugai nodded their heads.

"Never listen to Blitz." The three said simultaneously. Blitz slumped over, a dark cloud forming over his head.

"How am I supposed to be captain if none of you listen to me?" Blitz whined, his lips forming into a pout. Gonzo tilted his head in confusion.

"Wait, Blitz is the captain? I thought Chris was." Blitz face-vaulted at Gonzo's comment, as the other three began to laugh their asses off. "Well, he does seem more reliable than you, Blitz."

"I'm going to ignore that, fish-breath." Blitz grumbled, getting back to his feet. He then walked behind his crewmates and slapped them each in the back of their heads as he passed them. Gonzo shrugged and walked back into the tavern. Around this time, the carnival workers and performers had started to open their shops, game stalls and performance stages. "Alright! Everyone has their pocket money?" Blitz asked, gaining three nods. "Now, before we go off, I'd like to remind each of you to be on the look out for crooked games, pickpockets, and other con artists. Also, if you see the chance to steal someone else's money, take it."

"Wait," Zugai interpreted, raising his hand high, "you want us to keep an eye out for pickpockets, yet you also want us to be them, too?"

"Did I stutter, Bonehead?" Blitz asked curtly. Zugai lowered his hand hesitantly as Blitz continued. "If you are caught stealing, your on your own until you can lose your pursuers. Don't go to anyone of us, that'll just create more trouble for everyone."

"Says the guy who wanted us to fight the tavern owner and make a big scene." Chris muttered under her breath. Blitz ignored her and continued on.

"Try and conserve your Bellies, we've got only a small amount. Finally, each of you can go where ever you want in the carnival area, but we all will meet up at the town square for the Cooking Contest. Understood?" The others nodded their heads fervently. "Ok, now if you don't mind, I'm off to see if I can't find any female acrobats!"

"Um, why female acrobats?" Chris asked hesitantly, half of her not really wanting to know.

"When it come to women," Blitz said, a grin creeping onto his face, "who wear skin tight uniforms that accentuate their gracious curves of busts and buttocks, whilst jumping and flipping to show off said curves at almost every thinkable angle, 'tis better to ask; 'Why not?'" Blitz turned and walked down the street, almost skipping to an unheard tune. Chris watched slacked jawed as Jin and Zugai's eyes grew wide.

"He…makes a valid point." Jin said.

"Now I kinda want to go." Zugai muttered. Chris looked the two in shock, then slapped her head with both hands.

"It's official, I'm surrounded by pervs." She grumbled, her face buried in her hands.

"I guess I'll go and see if these folk have anything interesting in their vendors." Jin said, hurry down the street, in an opposite direction than Blitz. Zugai thought a moment, not sure of what to do yet. While he was thinking, Chris grabbed him by the wrist and started to drag him down the street.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Zugai asked, a little taken back at Chris's actions.

"Blitz said that we if we find an opportunity to steal money, we take it right?" Chris asked back, looking over her shoulder, "So I'm thinking, in-between carnival games, I'll _make _opportunities. And I'm going to need someone trust worthy to help me, right Zugai?" Chris grinned playfully during her last few words. Zugai chuckled nervously, uncertain of what he was getting into.

* * *

In another part of the town, Kaiz sat on a curbstone, watching the others set up shop as civilians poured out of their homes.

"Insignificant insects." Kaiz mumbled, resting his head in the palm of his hand. "Getting excited over such a trivial festivity. Who friggin cares about when some backwater town got established? None of these people, or this very town, has made any import on history!" Lowering his head so that his eyes were shrouded in shadow, he added. "But then again, it may very well make its place in history; as the beginning place of my terrible reign! Hahahahahaha!" He began to laugh loudly, passersby looking at him strangely before continuing on their way.

"Um, excuse me." Kaiz turned, startled, to see a small boy with a balloon standing next to him, looking at him funnily. "Are you a clown, mister?"

"A-a clown?!" Kaiz rudely shouted, startling the boy to a degree. "Do I look like a friggen clown to you kid?!" Kaiz stood up and glared down at the boy, who looked up and down at him.

"Yes?" the boy said, almost stupidly. Kaiz sighed, pressing an index finger against the boy's balloon.

"Shigan." Kaiz whispered. As he did, a great deal of force shot from Kaiz's finger, puncturing the balloon through and through. The balloon popped violently, scaring the boy. The loud pop, combined with the fact that his balloon was now destroyed by a scary man, caused the little boy to cry, tear flowing down his face like a waterfall. "Yeah, yeah. Boo hoo. Now GET OUT OF HERE!" Kaiz yelled, and the little boy bolted as fast as his little legs could take him. "Brat."

"You know, if you keep scaring kids like that, Boss Mark is going to give you the boot." Hearing this new voice, Kaiz turned to see three young kids, two boys and one girl. The tallest boy, obviously the oldest, looked to be around 13 years old. He wore a black skullcap with a small red ball on top, covering most o his hair, and had brown eyes. He also wore a long sleeve shimmery yellow Chinese robe with green trimmings, the sleeves partially hiding his hands and had 8 tan gold straps keeping the robe closed, with black buttons. His pants and tight fitting shoes matched his shirt in color and texture. And for some reason he sat atop of a large brown rubber ball

The other boy looked to be about 12. He did not have a hat on, showing his brown hair that was cut in a bowl cut fashion. He, too, had brown eyes, and wore a Chinese robe, only his was tan with brown trimmings, and had no sleeves. Instead of straps keeping the robe closed, this one had 7 strings attached to studs. His pants and tight shoes matched in color and texture to his robe.

Finally, the girl looked to be the same age as the younger boy. She had brown eyes, like the boys, and long brown hair tied into a long braid in the back. She also wore a skullcap, like the oldest, only hers was smaller. She wore a completely pink kunoichi outfit with pouches in the front. She also wore pink tight fitting shorts and smooth soled shoes.

"Oh, it's you three." Kaiz mumbled, sitting back down on the curb. "What makes you think I care what that muscle-bounded freak show does to me?" The younger two children giggled together as the older child grinned mischievously.

"Because we know you want to keep your job until you can pay for a boat of your own." He said, crossing his arms over his chest. The younger two copied him and nodded their heads.

"Oh shut up, Jiz." Kaiz snapped, then looked at the younger two, "And don't either of you say anything, Tin and Aki." The two smiled playfully and jumped over Kaiz's head to stand behind him. "Now what you three want? I'm busy!"

"Yes, busy planning things that will never be." Jiz said, rocking back and forth on his ball with out falling over. Tin and Aki giggled as Kaiz growled at him, and Tin rolled to Kaiz's left, while Aki spun rapidly to his right.

"But we do have something to say!" Aki said gleefully as she spun.

"Yeah, we get to do something exciting, Big Bro Kaiz!" Tin added as he rolled, his body contorting in a way that didn't seem humanly possible.

"Boos Mark has a special job for us!" Jiz said, bouncing up and down on his ball. "During the Cooking Contest, before the final round, there's going to be a break time with a show. Boss Mark wants us to be in it! Ain't that cool, Big Bro Kaiz?" Kaiz grumbled something inaudible under his breath before speaking aloud.

"Yeah, and all I get to do is clean up after you." He said, slowly getting up while the trio bounced, spun and danced around him. "Although," he added, rubbing his chin, "if you three put on a good enough show, people will be distracted enough for me to 'collect' some 'donations' from them…"

"That's our Kaiz!" the three siblings chanted, "Always thinking something nasty to do! That's why we love you!" The three then glomped Kaiz, knocking him off his feet.

"Get off me, you little pest!" Kaiz shouted brushing them off as he got back to his feet. "Now if you don't mind, I have some planning to do, you three go…do what ever, I don't care." The three giggled and strolled away happily, Jiz bouncing on his ball, Tin rolling and somersaulting, and Aki spinning. "Jeez, someone needs to shoot them. No one can be _that_ gleeful." Kaiz mumbled as he made his way down the street.

* * *

Chris giggled incessantly as she eyed the huge crowd in front of a large stage. So many potential targets, so little time. She'd raking in the dough in a matter of minutes!

"Remind me again why I am here." Zugai said to her, bring her out of her daydream of riches. "And you have a little drool going down the side of your mouth."

"Because I need you to make a distraction." Chris said, wiping the drool off, "While you have their attention, I can go and steal their wallets." As she spoke, a large, muscular dark skinned man stepped up on the stage, motioning with his hand for the crowd to quiet down.

"Alright, people, I know why you're here to day." The man said, crossing his arms and smiling. "You want to see the infamous Mark's Course of Doom, right?" The crowd cheered loudly, signifying a yes. "Well, alright, if you want it you'll get it. Curtain!" Behind him, a curtain was raised, revealing sort of obstacle course with blades, flamethrowers and other dangerous equipment. "Any brave soul who wishes to participate must step up to one side of the stage, then must make it past the tall pillar of rotating blades, over the pit with buzzsaws, through the flaming gauntlet, hopscotch across the pit of poisonous snakes on tiny pillars, and finally through the ring of fire. Any takers?" The crowd grew silent. None of them had ever thought that the Course of Doom would be so…dangerous.

"Are you trying to get us killed, Mark?!" One person shouted, followed by several other remarks from other people "No one can go through that alive!" "You've made it too difficult!" "Why would anyone want to even try?!"

"Did I mention that the winner gets 500 Bellies?" Mark asked, holding up a large bag with a Bellie sign on the front. The crowd grew silent again, and began to look amongst themselves, looking to see if anyone looked like they wanted to try. Suddenly, from the back of the crowd, a hand shot up, albeit with the aid of a smaller hand.

"My friend here would like to give it a try!" Everyone looked back at the speaker. Chris grinned proudly as she held up Zugai's hand, who was still trying to process what was going on.

"Hey wait, you can't just volunteer me!" Zugai protested as Chris pushed him to the front of the crowd and to the stage.

"Oh come on, you big pussy!" Chris whispered to him, "You fought a lizard man in a ring of fire! One silly obstacle course isn't going to kill you."

"Easy for you to say," Zugai whispered back, "You're no the one risking his life." Chris finally managed to get Zugai to the stage at the start of the course. She gave him a thumbs up and dashed back into the crowd, leaving him to his fate. Sighing Zugai turned to Mark and said, "When do I begin?"

"Right, now if you want." Mark said. Two carnival men walked over to Zugai, each carrying what seemed to be parts of a very bulky padding suit. "Just put this on so you won't get hurt." Zugai pushed aside the two men and walked up to the starting line.

"Trust me, I'm better off with out that stuff." He said. Mark shrugged, picked up a small hammer and bell. Zugai nodded that he was ready, and Mark struck the bell, ringing it quite loudly. Zugai jumped into the obstacle course, rolling pass the swinging blade pillar, getting past without a scratch.

'That's it Zugai, put on a good show.' Chris thought as she lifted a wallet out of a random man's pocket. She took the out the Bellie notes then placed the wallet back into the pocket. She then moved on to another person who was enthralled by Zugai, who had jumped clear over the buzzsaw pit and was currently making his way through the flaming gauntlet. There were five flamethrowers, each firing off at different intervals. Patiently, Zugai waited for his moment, moving to pass each flamethrower just as they stopped individually, before finally making it to the other side.

At the pit of snakes, Zugai saw five small pillars jutting from the bottom of the pit. Gulping, Zugai hopped on to the first of the pillars, almost losing his balance as he did so.

"Come on Zugai! Don't lose now; you're more than half way done!" Chris stood straight up, pumping her fist in the air. This fist, however held several Bellie notes, as Chris had just pick-pocketed another person from the crowd. The man looked at Chris, then to the money in her hand, then down at his pocket where his wallet was, then back at Chris.

"Did you just steal from me?" the man asked. Chris panicked, turning slowing to towards the man, sweat rolling down her face and her arms held tight against her chest.

"Um…No?" She said, almost as a question. The man blinked a few times before looking back at the stage.

"Ok. Just checking." Chris let out the breath she was holding, relieved that she did not get caught. She then started to inch away from the man very slowly, so as to not drawn anymore attentinon to her self.

Around this time, Zugai had made it to the fourth of the five small stepping pillars, wobbling precariously on one foot, as he judged the distance to his next jump. Gritting his teeth, Zugai jumped, landing on the last pillar on one foot. However, just as he landed, the pillar started to crack underneath him. Seeing this, Zugai jumped again, just as the pillar gave way under him. The crowd gasped in horror, thinking that Zugai wasn't going to make it and fall into the pit. But Zugai managed to catch the ledge of the pit, his feet dangling only a few inches above the snakes. Grunting, Zugai pulled himself up and out. The crowd sighed in relief.

Getting a running start, Zugai ran to the last of the obstacles, the large ring of fire. As he got closer to the ring, Zugai jumped and curled, forming a ball and going through the ring! He landed safely and with out any harm to his person. Zugai stood tall and pumped his fist in the air, proudly and defiantly. The crowd roared and cheered at his accomplishment. Mark clapped loudly with his big hands as he walked over to Zugai.

"Congratulations, young man. You are the first person _ever_ to make it through the Course of Doom in one piece. My hat's off to you, here's your reward." Mark handed the bag of Bellies over to Zugai took it gratefully. Zugai nodded to Mark and jumped off the stage, walking over join Chris, who was currently leaning up against a building.

"Nice job, Zugai! We really raked in the cash, didn't we?" Chris grinned as she held up a bag of her own, filled with Bellies that she stole.

"And we said never to listen to Blitz." Zugai said, shaking his head. "Maybe I should stop listening to you as well; you're just as bad as him. Chris punched him in the shoulder playfully before grabbing his wrist and pulling him down the street.

"Come on, we need to check out the other games and attractions! Now that we have cash to spend, let make the most of it!" Chris laughed, thinking of all the things that could be done in the day. "We still have about three hours before the Cooking Contest, so we have all the time in the world!" Zugai shook his head again, this time allowing Chris to pull him along and guide him through the street.

* * *

In another part of the carnival, Jin was window shopping at the street vendors, looking to see if there was anything of value worth purchasing. As he searched, he heard a clamor of shouting over at another booth. Perking his interest, Jin walked over to the booth to see what was going on. Pushing his way through a crowd, Jin came onto a sight that he never thought he'd see, or wished to ever see again.

There, at a table were five grown men with none other than Jin's captain, Blitz, drinking what seemed to be their sixth tankard of ale. It was a drinking contest! About half way through the glass, one of the men started to get tipsy, before finally falling off his stool and to the ground, semi-conscious. Many in the crowd laughed at the man's misfortune, he was out of the contest. Another round was brought out by a busty young blond wearing a skimpy pink swimsuit. The participants grabbed the seventh tankard eagerly, and proceeded to chug it down. Two more fell off their stools; leave Blitz with two other men. As they finished their seventh glass, a fourth man fell off his stool as the bikini clad waitress in high-heels brought them an eighth.

The last man other than Blitz looked at the tankard, then at Blitz who chugged it down like it was just his first one. Suddenly, the man took a green tint to his face, and his cheek bloated. Covering his mouth, the man sped off to a near by trash can, and retched the contents of his stomach, mostly ale, into it. The crowd cheered as Blitz finished his tankard, and he stood up with on foot on his stood and raised both fists in the air in triumph.

"Ish that the best you've got?!" Blitz shouted with a slight slur. "I beat any on you!" The waitress walked over to Blitz again, this time with a small bag of gold. As she gave the bag to Blitz, she leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Blitz grinned perversely and as the young woman turn to walk away, Blitz slapped her across her rear end.

"EEP!" the waitress squeaked, not expecting the gesture. She turned around and smacked Blitz across the face, leaving a large red, hand shaped welt on his face. She huffed and marched angrily away. Blitz rubbed his face as he walked out of the booth to Jin.

"She don't know what she'sh misshin'." Blitz said, tying the bag clumsily to a pants loop.

"I thought you were going to watch female acrobats." Jin said, more as a statement rather than a question. Blitz shrugged and started to walk down the street, Jin following.

"Heard there wash going to be a drinkin contest." Blitz explained, waving his hand in the air. "So I decided to make a detour. Now come on, there'sh got to be something interesting to do while we wait for the Cooking Contest." Jin sighed and continued to follow Blitz, if only to keep Blitz from getting into trouble. If that was even possible.

* * *

End Chapter

Sorry I didn't update sooner, there was a lot going on this week. Now, what Gonzo said about who was captain, that's meant to be a nod to SeeNoEvil121's story Pirates, where Chris is the captain and Gonzo's her cook.

Also, the siblings Jiz, Tin, and Aki are the creations of **M-Rated-Writer**, so thank you to him/her.

And what kind of trouble is Kaiz going to cause at the Contest? Stay tuned for the next chapter!


	16. Carnival Part 3

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Time 3

Pasts, Plots and Platforms, Oh my!

* * *

"400…freaking…Bellies." Moaned Blitz, dropping the last coin back into the bag. He had been counting his reward from the drinking contest earlier, after he had sobered up to the point of no more slurs in his speech. Had Jin just let him go with out straightening out, he would have been blissfully unaware of how little he won. "What cheap, cut-rate carnival is this?"

"Well, this town is the richest there is." Jin said, leaning against a building not far away. "The people most likely didn't have much to spend of the Troupe, so the Troupe would have to cut back on any reward money to make a decent profit." Blitz continued to grumble, reattaching the Bellie bag to his side pouches. Looking up at the sun, Blitz surmised that there was about an hour left before the Cooking Contest.

"It's about time we got a move on to the town square. That's there the main event is, right?" Blitz shoved his hands in his pockets and skulked off in no particular direction. Sighing, Jin grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him in the other direction.

"Town square's this way, 'Zoro'." Jin said with a slight sarcastic undertone.

"I knew that."

* * *

With Chris and Zugai, Chris was also looking up at the sun to determine the time of day.

"Hey, Zugai! I think we should head over to the town square soon. We don't want to be late for the Cooking Contest." Chris glanced over to where Zugai stood. Or rather, were he knelt half out of breath, a large bag of several small stuffed animals and novelites on his back.

"This…" he wheezed. "is…the last…time…I go with…you…on a game run…" Chris smiled and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"What can I say? I really like carnival games, their really fun." Chris said, before grabbing Zugai by his arm. "Now come on, slow poke! Time's a-wasting!" Chris did not even seem to care that she was dragging Zugai's full weight, as he was too tired to get up. This resulted in him being dragged along the ground, bag of toys, axe and all.

* * *

Within the kitchen of Loku's tavern, Gonzo paged through an old cook book for some last minute preparations. A knock could be heard from the door behind him, drawing his attention away from the book. As he flipped through it, a small picture jutted out from between the pages. Gonzo pick it up to get a better look at it. The picture showed him with a few other fishmen, and by the looks of the background, they were on the deck of a ship somewhere in the ocean. The fishmen were all looking happy, each clutching a beer bottle in their hands. Looking at the photo brought Gonzo back days of the past, to why he was here, and not with his buddies……

"_What the hell is this crap!?" A large tan, spongy looking man shouted. He sat at a table in what looked like a submarine kitchen. On a plate in front of him was a delicious platter of prime ribs along with some peas and broccoli. The spongy man grabbed the plate and threw it against the wall, shattering the plate and splattering the meat all over the wall._

"_Hey! I worked hard on that, Chamu! The least you could do is be polite and say you did want any!" The sponge man turned to face the speaker, who turned out to be Gonzo himself, holding a spatula._

"_Be polite?" Chamu asked irritably, "I'm your new captain, I don't need to be polite! And I, being a vegetarian, refuse to even look at meat on my plate. As chef, you should know that! Besides, even if I did eat meat, I still wouldn't eat any of _your_ cooking, if it tastes anything like your veggie burgers."_

"_I told you, my specialty is barbecue!" Gonzo shouted, slamming his spatula onto the kitchen counter. "And my veggie burgers taste just fine. You just have dead taste buds!" The other fishmen on board began to inch away. A fight between Chamu and Gonzo was a frequent thing, but this one looked like it was going to really boil over._

"_Really? I have no taste? At least I'm not a fish murderer!" Chamu retorted. The crew oohed in awe. That was not the kind of thing a fishman would say to another when it came to eating non-sentient fish, not with out repercussions. Gonzo fumed, his fists tightening with anger._

"_Fish murderer, am I?" Gonzo asked, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "Well, if I am, then let's chalk up another victim!" Gonzo charged at Chamu, eyes filled with rage. Chamu stood calmly, not even moving a muscle. It was over on less than five minutes._

_A few minutes latter, a battered and beated Gonzo was thrown over the side of the surfaced submarine. Chamu and the rest of the crew stood and watched him float face up in the water, drifting way from the ship. The only person grinning was Chamu himself._

"_Was it really a good idea to let him off here, Captain Chamu?" asked one of the fishmen. "We're pretty close to the Calm Belt, and if he keeps drifting along like that…"_

"_It would be poetic justice." Chamu said, cutting the crewman off. "A fishman who cut up and ate fish, being eaten by a fish. Sound right to me." He turned and head back down to the inside of the ship. The other fishmen followed hesitantly, looked back at Gonzo, who had now floated almost out of sight._

_Where Gonzo floated, seemingly unconscious, a great big Sea King rose up from out of the water. It eyed the almost lifeless body of the Orca fishman, licking his chops, before diving straight at the body, intent on swallowing him whole. But as the Sea King drew closer, Gonzo's eyes opened wide, the anger he felt still present within them._

_A short while latter, Gonzo, still sporting the wounds of his fight with Chamu, sat cross-legged on top of the floating corpse of the Sea King that attacked him, gazing back in the direction of where his former crew last was._

"_Someday," Gonzo said, mostly to himself, "I will come back to the Grandline, I will come and save you guys from him. From Chamu. Even before I go to find the Prime Spice, I will save you. I promise." _

"Hey, Gonzo! Hurry up in there, the Contest is going to start soon!" Loku's voice shouted through the door, bring Gonzo back out from his memories.

"Yeah, I'm almost done, be out in a sec!" Gonzo shouted back, before looking at the photo once more. He stared at it a little while longer before placing it back into the book, right at the spot where it began to explain how to make prime ribs. Gonzo tucked the book under his arm and grabbed a large bag of supplies for the Contest and exited the kitchen, ready for any challenge.

* * *

At the town square, a large platform was erected with four different cooking stations, each supplied with stoves/ovens, a refrigerator, cabinets and other kitchen necessities. A sizeable crowd had already gathered around the platform, and more people kept pouring in from the various streets. Every one was clamoring, saying their opinions and expectations to one another.

As Blitz and Jin walked into the town square area, they immediately spotted Chris, though all of Zugai they could see was a tuft of brown hair sticking out from under a large bag filled with various toys, stuffed animals and other carnival novelties.

"What'd you do? Win every prize in the town?" Blitz asked, looking the bag up and down as Jin tried to pull Zugai out from under the bag.

"No, just as many as I could win!" Chris said cheerfully. The three eyed her skeptically, even Zugai who was still half under the bag. "What? I'm really good at games." Suddenly, from the top of the platform, a portly man in a formal suit stepped forward, drawing the attention of everyone in the square.

"Citizens of Carkan! I hope you've been having a good time at the Carkan Carnival!" the man said, gaining a roaring cheer form the crowd. "Well that's good! I am very glad to hear that this year is as successful as last years. And like every year, we present to you the Carkan Carnival Cooking Contest!" Another roaring cheer erupts from the crowd. The man waits for them to settle down before continuing. "Now before we announce this years participants, we will first open the betting booth!"

"Betting booth?" Blitz asked aloud, wide eyed and slack jawed. The others were similarly interested.

"That's right." Said a nearby townsperson, walking past the four pirates. "Each year when we have the Cooking Contest, we get to place bets on who we think will win the Contest. When the winner is named, he or she will get a cut from the winnings, while those who bet on that chef will get their money back plus extra. Losers and those who bet on them get nothing. Though you'll have to have a minimum bet of 2000 Bellies to participate. Blitz and the others stared at the random person, then at each other, then at the small bag at Blitz's waist.

"How much do you have?" Zugai asked, still staring at the bag. "Chris spent most of the money we won and stole on games."

"I have 400 Bellies." Blitz said, looking back at the Contest Platform and pouting. "We can get in on the action. Dammit." Beside him, Jin stood, deep in thought, his face contorting. It seemed like he was contemplating on doing something and was weighing the pros and cons.

"Hey, Jin, you have an idea?" asked Chris, getting right up in to his face in curiosity. "'Cause if you do, I think we all should hear it." Jin brushed her aside and walked past her and the other two with a purpose. Confused, Blitz, Zugai and Chris followed after him, right the booth where people were placing their bets. Luckily, the line had yet to form fully, so it was relatively easy to push one's way to the front. At the booth there was a table and a big board behind it, showing the faces of four people, one of them Gonzo's. Jin walked up to the man manning the booth and grabbed something from this jacket.

"I may not have enough money to enter the bettings," Jin said, slamming the object he took out on the table. "But I feel this will cover it all." The man lazily glanced at the object, then back at Jin to tell him to beat it. Suddenly, it dawned to him of what he saw and did a double take on the object. Before him, was a map. Not just any map, but a map…of the Grandline itself!

"This map is a very valuable one. Worth more than 2 million Bellies." Jin said, eyes filled with determination. "It is even rumored to have been used by the Strawhat pirates themselves! I place this map as my bet, on the fishman Gonzo." Everyone around him, his nakama included, went slack jawed in astonishment. The bet taker nodded slowly and took the map, placing it on top of the pile of gold from the other betters. Jin nodded his head and turned to walk away, walking past his friends who were still shock.

"When were you going to tell us you had a map of the Grandline!?" Zugai asked loudly, shaking his arm up and down.

"Why did you bet with some thing so valueable! If we lose then we can't go to the Grandline!" Chris shouted, also failing her arms up and down.

"Who cares?!" Blitz said happily, slinging his arm around Jin's neck. "Way to put the bar up high, Jinny-Boy! With such a high priced bet, almost every one will be sure to bet in hopes of winning, and when Gonzo wins—and join us—it means that much more money for the crew!"

Else where, in another part of the square, another person had come up with a similar realization.

"So a map of the Grandline is up for the win now, huh?" grinned none other than Kaiz, who was taking money out of some poor sap's pocket, eerily similar to how Chris had done earlier. "With that and the winnings, I can get me a ship and crew and sail to the Grandline my self! Now I know Jiz and his siblings will want to come with, but I'm going to need some one on the inside. Someone who's participating to join my cause and willing to contribute his share of the winnings. But who?" Kaiz rubbed his chin in thought, ignoring the stares he was getting from people who past him. Until one person walked pasted by, catching his eye and drawing his full attention.

It wasn't his spiky black hair or his green eyes that caught Kai's attention. Nor was it his black shirt with white buttons, or that he stood at exactly 5 feet and was long and skinny. It was two things, really. That fact that, on his back, was a black pot the size of a small shack, and that in his hands was a knife, and he seemed to be talking to it!

"Oh, of course we'll win the Contest, Oroshi!" the man said to the knife, "After all, I'll be using you and Kushibo here for it! With the three of us, no one can beat us when it comes to cooking!" Kaiz stood watching the man, gears turning in his head at the speed of light. After a minute of thinking, a light-bulb clicked on over Kaiz's head. He had a plan! After reaching up to turned the light-bulb off, he hastened over to the man with the knife and pot, calling him out.

"Hey you! With the big-ass pot!" Kaiz shouted, skidding to a stop in front of the man. The man stopped and looked at Kaiz, tilting his head in wonderment.

"Do you mean me?" the man asked. Kaiz nodded his head and put on a cheesy grin.

"Yeah! Say, what's your name?" he asked nicely, though if one was observant, they could sense that he was not being very sincere about it. This man, however, was not very observant.

"My name's Sango, Sando Agara." The man said before pointing to his knife. "And this is my most prized cooking knife, Oroshi. On my back is Kushibo."

"That's nice." Kaiz said, interrupting Sando. "Let me get straight to the point here. I am in need of your assistance."

* * *

"You want us to do what!?" Shouted Jiz, Tin, and Aki. They stood in a secluded alley way with Kaiz and Sango, unseen by the villagers.

"Did I stutter?" Kaiz said venomously, "I said that, when you three put on your show before the finals, I want you to start a fight. With that kind of commotion, I can sneak back behind the platform and tamper with the ingredients so our new buddy Sando here," Kaiz points a thumb in Sando's direction, who smiles and waves to the three young acrobats, "can win the final round with out any trouble." Sando's smile faded, and look at Kaiz frowning.

"What, you're not confident in the cooking prowess of me, Oroshi and Kushiba?" he asked, a little put off. Kaiz sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't doubt your ability, Sando. I just don't want to take any chances, that's all! Besides, you'll have to actually get to the last round by yourself, anyway!" Kaiz explained, getting a nod from Sango.

"But what for?" asked Aki, folding her arms. "Why are we doing this?"

"I'll tell you why," Kaiz said, leaning closer to them, grinning wide. "When we win, and I know we will, we'll get a special item placed as a bet by some idiot loser: a genuine map of the Grandline!" the acrobat siblings perked up at the word 'Grandline', knowing full well what it meant. "And when we get that map and the prize money, we can buy us a ship and sail to the Granline, and finally get to be pirates. Just like you three always wanted!"

"We get to be pirates." Jiz breathed, almost not believing what he heard.

"Just like…" Tin said.

"Our hero…" Aki continued.

"The famous, awe-inspiring Buggy the Clown!!" all three shouted joyously, jumping up and down with glee. Kaiz nodded his head in approval, glad he managed to get these three to go along with his plan.

"Yes and I, Sando Agara, can sail the seas in search of new ingredients to make the Superb Dish, a meal that satisfies all tastes, and miracle weapon in combat!" Sando said dreamily, hugging Kushiba affectingly.

'Oh, yeah.' Kaiz thought as he looked from each of his comrades to the other. 'These guys will be perfect for my crew.'

* * *

About ten minutes later, the betting booth closed and the contestants filed up the platform to their designated stations. The groomed man from before, apparently the Mayor, stood in the middle, waiting for everyone to be ready to start.

"Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you, our participants for the Carkan Carnival Cooking Contest! First we have the lovely Sarah Nelson!" In the first kitchen stood a pretty young woman in a simple brown and tan dress, waving nervously at the crowd. "In Kitchen Two, we have Mort Bekins!" In the second kitchen stood a large bellied man with no hair on his head and a very large moustache, which he stroked as he surveyed the crowd. "In Kitchen Three, we have the wandering chef, Sando Agara!" Sando knelt next to his pot Kushiba, which was placed in the middle of the station, rubbing it with a cloth to make it shine, ignoring the crowd. "And in Kitchen Four, the massive Fishman, Gonzo!" Gonzo stood proudly and his raised both his hand in the air, gaining quite a few cheers from the crowd.

"The Cooking Contest will be taken in three rounds. At the end of each round, a cook will be eliminated, leaving only one at the very end; our winner! The elimination decision with be made by me, your Mayor. I will taste each dish each round, and the one I dislike the most will be eliminated!"

"So that's how it works, huh?" Jin wondered aloud from his place in the crowd. "Simple, yet effective."

"If them's the rules," said Blitz, who was munching on a corn dog, "then Gonzo's a shoe-in for this. If his dishes are anything like what I ate last night, then those other wanna-be have not chance." Chris giggled and shook her head.

"You seem to hold Gonzo in a high regard, unlike the rest of us." She said. Blitz shrugged and continued eating his corndog.

"What can I say; I have a good feeling about him. Unlike the rest of you." Chris gave him a small kick in the shin, while at the same time Jin punched him in the arm, and Zugai bopped him on the head. "OW! What'd I say?"

Else where in the crowd, Kaiz watched with Jiz, Tin and Aki. A confident smirk was on his face, curtain that nothing could go wrong.

"Oh, this is going to be fun." Kaiz said ominously. "I'm actually glad I came here. There is going to be oh so much blood shed today. Hahahahahahaha!"

Up on the platform, Gonzo turned to Sando and reached out a hand.

"Let the best cook win." He said cheerfully. Sando looked at the hand and turned back to polishing Kushiba.

"We plan to, fishy." Sando said under his breath. Gonzo stood confused for a few seconds before shrugging and turning back to the crowd.

"And with out further ado," the Mayor shouted, getting the crowd revved up in excitement, cooks get ready to cook, and let the first round of the Carkan Carnival Cooking Contest……BEGIN!!"

* * *

End Chapter

AN: Yeah, sorry for the delay. Thursday and Friday I had to help take care of my sick sister, so I tried to finish Saturday, but my computer got a virus and it took all day clearing it up. Luckily I was able to finish and update today! But I also apologize if it seems a little short, I had to rush it a bit.

We got to take a look into Gonzo's past, as stated by **Sam in the Dark**. Also, Sando Agara is under lease from **Kisdota-the Freak Gamer**. Thank you Kisdota for him. I'll try and get the next chapter up by next Saturday or Sunday, depending on how the week goes. See you next time!

Signed—Nezumimaru


	17. Carnival Part 4

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Part 4

Team JTA!

* * *

Blitz watched the Cooking Contest with keen interest, waiting to see who would be voted off. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zugai approach but made no visible motion to acknowledge him.

"Took you long enough." Blitz said, not taking his eyes off the contestants. "What took you so long?"

"Couldn't find a bathroom." Zugai grumbled, taking his place next to Blitz, "Apparently, these people haven't heard of Port-A-Johns. Anyway, what I miss?"

"Well, the chick got stage fright and burnt…what ever it was she was cooking." Blitz said, his nose crinkling at the remembrance of the foul odor of burnt food. "So she got disqualified without even a taste test. And the Mayor-guy is about to taste the next batch."

Up on the platform, the Mayor walked from station to station, tasting Mort's carrot cake, Gonzo's juicy, rare-cooked steak, and Sando's cooked noodle casserole. The Mayor took a bite from each one as he passed, chewing slowly to gain all sense of the flavor from the dish. After a minute of tasting, the Mayor nodded his head and walked to the middle of the platform.

"After reviewing these fine dishes, I was a very hard choice for me to choose who to eliminate from the contest. However, eliminate I must and so, Mort," the Mayor turned to the stout man, "I'm afraid to say but your carrot cake was, although good, not as impressive as Gonzo's steak or Sando's casserole." Mort hung his head in shame, trudging off the platform wearily. The Mayor shook in head, then turned back to the crowd.

"Now before we continue to the next and final round of the Contest to see who will be this year's Cooking Champ, a brief break followed by some entertainment, courtesy of the brightest and talented young acrobats of the Traveling Troupe, Team JTA!" The crowd cheered, though many had left for the bathrooms so the cheer was not as loud.

"There was going to be a bathroom break?" Zugai asked, a little surprised, "You mean I missed the first half of the Contest for nothing?"

"Guess so." Blitz said before turning to his other nakama, "Anybody need to take a bathroom break?" Jin and Chris shook their heads, while munching on some corndogs. "Fine, I'll go by myself then." Blitz left swiftly, going in the direction Zugai had come from. Zugai watched him leave, then looked over at Jin and Chris.

"So…he said something about acrobats?" he asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Yeah, they should start soon." Chris said, taking one last bite of her corndog. "I wonder what kind of techniques they'll use."

"Shh, they're starting." Jin whispered. Sure enough, in a fenced circle in the middle crowd, stood three young children, two boys and one girl.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves!" Shouted the taller boy, waving a hand to the younger two from atop a rubber ball. "These are my younger siblings, the twins Tin and Aki!" As soon as they were introduced, Tin jumped into the air and contorted his body into a ball with him right arm sticking below him. Aki spun around in a circle before resting on her tip-toes, catching Tin and balancing him perfectly on one hand. The crowd ooh and awed at the athleticism and talent, clapping ethusicly. Chris, Jin and Zugai made their way to the front of the crowd as the older boy was about to introduce himself.

"And I am the oldest, and more experienced of the trio, leader of Team JTA: Jiz the Balancer!" Jiz bounced up from his ball, flipping a few times in the air before landing perfectly back on top of the ball on one hand, grinning proudly as the crowd applauded once again. That is, except for one person, who used all the will power she had to keep from laughing.

"Um, Chris? Are you alright?" Zugai asked, concerned about Chris seemingly losing it. Chris looked at Zugai, her cheeks puffed out from containing her laughter.

"His…his name." Chris giggled, barely keeping her self composed. "His name is Jiz." Zugai stared at her confused. Chris giggled and said, "Think about it." Zugai stood, the tiny gears in his mind running. Suddenly, he understood why Chris was having a giggling fit and he, along with Jin and several other people who overheard, started to giggle, too.

"H-hey!" Jiz shouted at the group of people, "What's so funny?" The section of people looked at his and just started laughing.

"Your name," Chris managed to get out between breathes, "Is JIZ! How can you say that out loud?!" Before long, everyone in the crowd caught on to what Chris was implying, and started to laugh as well. Jiz, who was so distracted by everyone around him, lost his balance and fell off his ball, landing painfully on the hard ground. This caused the crowd to laugh even more.

"STOP LAUGHING!" Jiz shouted, getting back up. "It's not funny! My name isn't even spelled the same way as…that!"

"Wow, I never realized Big Brother had such a dirty name!" Tin said, eyes wide with astonishment.

"How could we have not seen it before?" Aki wondered, looking upward in thought. "I mean, we've hung out with Big Bro Kaiz long enough…"

"AAAAHHH!! Not my own siblings, too!" Jiz cried, clutching his head. In his anger, his pointed at Chris, his eyes red with rage. "YOU!! I challenge you to preserve my honor! Fight me!" Chris grinned and cracked her knuckles

"Fight you? Certainly!" Chris said, hopping up over the fence into the circle. Jiz sat on top of his ball, arm crossed and ready to fight. But before any fighting could be started, Tin and Aki jumped in between the two, facing Chris in fighting stances.

"We won't let Big Brother fight on his own!" Tin said, stretching his arms and legs.

"Yeah, we want to help defend his honor!" Aki added.

'But mostly because this gives us a good reason to start a fight like Big Bro Kaiz wanted.' They thought. From behind Chris, Jin and Zugai jumped over the fence to join their friend.

"Well, how about we make this an even fight." Jin said rolling his head to get the kinks out of his neck. Zugai grabbed Honehakaisha from his back and gripped it tightly, bringing it out in front of him.

"Yet another little bit of trouble you've dragged me into today, Chris." he said, getting a playful punch in the arm by Chris. Chris drew out her Deer Horn Knives, just as Jiz stood on his ball, Tin strapped on some gloves with steel half-spheres on the knuckles with kneepads and tight shoes with similar metal design, and Aki drew out a pair of small knives.

"Well, then, let's dance!" Chris shouted, as the six combatants charged at each other.

* * *

Up on the platform, Gonzo and Sando watched the scene below them, each with a different reason for their excitement.

'So now I get to see what these guys are made of.' Thought Gonzo, leaning on a counter as he watched Chris take a swipe at Jiz, who easily jumped over it thanks to his rubber ball. 'Kind of reckless and immature, but they seem to be holding their own.'

'Those three are close,' thought Sango watching Team JTA with interest. 'Almost as close as I am to my cooking utensils. Kaiz was right to recruit them for this.' He raised an eyebrow as he watched Jin take a spinning back handed strike from Aki, but simple splattered into water. 'Though these people they fight, they aren't normal.'

"So Sando," Gonzo said, bringing Sando out of his thoughts, "who do you think will win? The challenged or the challengers?"

"Doesn't matter who wins this petty squabble." Sando said arrogantly. "All that matters is that I defeat _you_ in this contest, and make my first step in becoming the world's greatest chef." Gonzo looked at Sando with an annoyed look on his face. Sighing, Gonzo turned back to watch the fight, just in time to see Zugai swing horizontally with his axe, missing Tin. Tin had his back to Zugai, but leaned backward to avoid the blow, his hands touching the ground. And with one swift movement of his arm, Tin's metal studded fist can up and…

* * *

"Acrobat Technique! Under Hand Knuckle!" Tin brought up his fist, right between the legs of Zugai, and into his most vulnerable area. Zugai's eye grew wide with pain, his whole body practically shutting down. He doubled over and fell to the ground, dropping Honehakaisha and bringing his hands to his aching crotch.

"F*$%ing sh!t…" Zugai whined, small beads of tears forming on the corners of his clenched tight eyes. "That was low." Tin just smirked as he danced around Zugai's crumpled form.

"Geez, talk about dirty." Jin sighed, before turning his attention back to his own opponent. Aki, he thinks her name was, just would not stop spinning around and around! It was making him dizzy. "Ugh, if I keep looking at her, I think I'm going to be sick."

"I'm going to assume that you mean from by spinning around, and not by my looks." Aki said flatly, glaring at Jin as she spun. "Part of my act juggling while I move, so I am very adept at twirl not only myself, but small objects. Like these daggers!" Aki tossed her knives at Jin, the knives spinning like saws in the air. Jin sighed again and allowed the knives to pass right on through him.

"As you can see, I'm made of water." Jin said. Suddenly, there was a scream behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Jin saw that the knives were imbedded in one of the legs of the platform, and had narrowly missed a couple of pedestrians.

"You may not be able to be injured by my weapons, stranger," Aki taunted, drawing two more knives from…who knows where, "but the people around us can. So unless you want these people to get hurt, you better take these hits like a man."

"Or," Jin said, charging straight at her, "you just don't throw anything anymore? Mizu Mizu No Hammer!" Jin's fist became coated in a watery substance, enlarging it by twice its size. Not expecting the sudden assault, Aki had no time to move out of the way. The water encased fist collided with her jaw, sending her spinning through the air.

"Acrobatic technique! Rolling Saver!" Tin rolled across the ground, then sprung up to catch his sister before she hit the ground.

"Thank you, Tin." Aki said, getting back to her feet with a little twirl.

"Your welcome, Aki." Tin answered back, dusting himself off. Around this time, Zugai managed to ignore his current pain enough to get back onto his feet.

"You ok there, Zugai?" Jin asked, getting into a fighting stance next to Zugai.

"Been better." Zugai replied, albeit with a little more soprano in his voice. "Now we really need to kick some ass, don't we?" Jin nodded, and jumped into the air. Zugai responded with arcing back Honehakaisha. "Honehakaisha Nakama Launcher!"

"Mizu Mizu No Torpedo!" Just as Jin made contact with Zugai's axe, he pushed off with a torrent of water from his legs, shooting him off like missile towards the twin acrobats.

"AAAAAHHH!!!!!" Tin and Aki cried, grasping each other tightly as they watched the incoming attack come straight for them. But as Jin came closer, Aki clutched Tin's arms tightly and began to spin rapidly. Tin bent his body backwards and tucked his legs so that his knee guards pointed outwards as they spun. "Acrobatic Technique! Dual Defense!" With Tin's metal studded knees and Aki's rapid spinning, Jin became splattered all over the fenced area the moment he came into contact with them.

"Well that could have gone better." Zugai muttered as he shook bits of Jin-water off his jacket.

Over with Chris and Jiz, things were in a standstill. Chris was able to evade almost all of Jiz's attacks, but was unable to connect with any of her own.

"Acrobatic Technique! Rubber Ball Lunge!" Jiz shot off from his ball at high speeds, his foot placed before him to deliver a powerful kick to Chris's chest. Chris leaned back to avoid the blow, using all her strength to keep her self from falling onto her back as she kept her upper body parallel with the ground. Jiz flew over her and landed on top of his ball once again.

"Wait a minute!" Chris shouted, looking back and forth from where Jiz and his ball currently were to where they used to be. "How did your ball move?"

"Simple." Jiz said, balancing himself on two hands. "Whenever I jump off my ball, I push off it at just the right angle and with just the right force to cause it to roll or bounce another location. That way I always end my attack on top of my ball, whether I hit or not. So you could say that I'm always 'on the ball' with things. Ha ha!"

"BAD PUN!!" Chris shouted as she kicked Jiz right in the gut, her teeth somehow turned into shark teeth during the attack, but transformed back soon after. Jiz landed several feet away, his ball rolling not far behind him.

"Big Brother!" Aki shouted, spinning swiftly over to them. "Acrobatic Technique! Over Head Spin!" While continuing to spin, Aki jumped in the air towards Chris, delivering a backhanded strike to the side of her face. But while she was still in mid-air, Zugai suddenly appeared in front of her and bring Honehakaisha forward with full force.

"Honehakaisha Brunt Strike!" Zugai brought up the labry's flat side against Aki, hitting her full torso. Aki was launched into the air to the far side of the circle, landing with a dust cloud forming around her.

"JERK!" Shouted one of the on-lookers, throwing an empty can at Zugai's head. "I can't believe you hit a little girl, you asshole!"

"OH SHUT UP!!" Zugai shouted back, giving the civilian the finger. This little distraction was all Jiz needed for his next attack.

"Acrobatic Technique! Rubber Ball Launch!" Zugai heard this from above him and looked up. Sure enough, Jiz was high above him and was coming down hard with a heel drop.

"Mizu Mizu No Pistol!" Suddenly, a large torrent of water shot Jiz out of the air. Surprised, Zugai turned to see a reformed Jin standing not far away.

'Took you long enough." Chris said, patting Jin on the shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Jin said, scratching the back of his neck. "The thing is, the more spread out I get when I'm 'dispersed' like that, the longer it takes for me to reform afterwards." The three then turned to face the one acrobat that hadn't been sent off yet, young little Tin. "You want the honors, Chris?"

"With pleasure." Chris said, grinning evilly. Tin gritted his teeth and crouched into a low fighting stance. Chris twirled her Deer Horn Knives in her hands as she strode over to Tin, saying, "Now here's a little acrobatics of my own: Acrobatic Triple Threat!" Chris cartwheeled the rest of the way to Tin before leaping up to strike at him from above.

"Acrobatic Technique! Flexible Choice All Side Defense!" Tin got onto his hands and brought his knee up, blocking the attack with his metal knee guard. Gritting, Chris landed behind him and tried to deliver a kick, only to be blocked by Tin's elbow. Chris used the momentum from her kick to strike with her knives, but this too was blocked, hitting the metal on Tin's shoes. Chris flipped and carwheeled around Tin but no matter how she tried, Tin would be able to twist, bend and contort himself to block each and every attack.

"Well done, Tin!" Shouted Jiz, who got back up from that last attack. Aki got up wearily as well, shaking off the last of the stars circling her head.

"Dammit!" Chris yelled, shaking her fists in anger. "Jin, from now on, you're fighting this bendy freak! I want nothing to do with him!" Chris stomped off towards Jiz, as Jin shook his head in disappointment.

"And here I thought Chris was the grown-up, mature one." Jin sighed.

"Remember yesterday at the docks?" Zugai reminded him. The two nodded their heads, remembering full well how…childlike…Chris acted.

"You better keep your heads in the game!" shouted Tin and Aki, who lunged at Jin and Zugai. The two pirates sighed and each grabbed an acrobat, Jin grabbing Tin and Zugai grabbing Aki, as they came into arms length. They then smashed the twins into each other.

"Good teamwork, Mr. Hibiware." Jin said politely, shaking Zugai's hand as the twins landed on the ground.

"As with you, Mr. Namura." Zugai said, equally polite as he accepted Jin's hand shake.

"JERKS!" Shouted a couple of townsfolk, who threw cans and garbage at Jin and Zugai. "Attacking little kids, have you no morals!?"

"They attacked us first!" Zugai and Jin shouted back, giving the townspeople the figner.

"Ni Giri!" shouted Chris, crossing her Deer Horn Knives across her chest as she leapt towards Jiz. Jiz bounced up and out of the way of the attack, resulting in Chris flying past between Jiz and his ball. Seeing that he and his siblings were on the losing end of the battle, Jiz decided it was time for their ultimate attack.

"Tin! Aki! Assemble!" Shouted Jiz, rolling on him and his ball away from a very annoyed Chris. Tin and Aki kipped up from the ground and sped off towards their older brother. Zugai and Jin joined up with Chris as they watched Team JTA start up what seemed to be a very intricate performance of acrobatics, centered around Jiz's ball. Jiz balanced himself on one hand on top of the ball while Tin twisted himself around on top of Jiz's upright feet, and Aki spun in a beautiful pirouette on top of Tin.

Jiz started to roll his ball, heading straight for Chris and the others. As he rolled towards them, he began to pick up speed, getting faster and faster, until they got to a desired velocity.

"NOW!" shouted Jiz. Aki spun off from the top of the human tower, spinning fast like and top, and when she hit the ground she kept right on spinning, so fast it didn't seem humanly possible. As soon as Aki touched the ground, Tin rolled off from Jiz, rolling at high speeds jut like his sister was spinning. And as Tin started to roll on the ground, Jiz hit the ball with his feet and launched himself high into the air, flipping as he did.

"Bounce! Roll! Spin! 3 Side Attack, 3 Way Impact!" The siblings shouted, each attacking from a different side. Jin, Zugai, and Chris kept their back to each other, ready to defend from the incoming attack.

"Zugai, launch me!" Chris shouted, nodding her head in Jiz's direction. Zugai nodded and reared his axe back as Chris jumped up into the air.

"Honehakaisha Nakama Launcher!" Zugai launched Chris into the air with his axe, aiming straight towards Jiz. Still swinging, Zugai let the momentum take him at he began to spin around and around, almost as fast as Aki, spinning over to said acrobat. Jin's feet began to bubble underneath him, building up power for when Tin got close enough for the attack.

"Buzzsaw Knives!"

"Honehakaisha Itoguruma!"

"Mizu Mizu No Torpedo!" Chris intercepted Jiz in the air, spinning vertically with her knives. She struck him dead center of his body, stopping him in his tracks. Zugai spun right into Aki, the two creating sparks as Zugai's axe met with Aki's knives. Although Aki was spinning faster than Zugai was, he had more power behind him, so Zugai was able to cancel out Aki's spinning and send her flying into the crowd. Jin met with Tin head on, knocking Tin right out of the ball he was in and the two smashed into the ground several feet away as a result of Jin's powerful tackle.

Chris landed on her feet after her attack, though Jiz was less fortunate. He landed on his back, his chest bleeding, though not enough for him to bleed out. Tin and Aki lay unconscious where they landed, eyes swirling and stars circling their heads.

"I'd say that ended well." Chris said, wiping a bit of Jiz's blood from her forehead. Suddenly, a thought came to her mind as she looked down on the blood on the back of her hand. "Ewww…"

"What?" asked Zugai, wondering what had grossed out the tomboy. Chris looked at him and Jin, a slight grin on her face along with some blood.

"I got smears of Jiz all over my face!" Chris said, mixing a groan with a chuckle. Jin and Blitz stood there staring at her for five heartbeats before catching on to what she said. And when they did, they smacked themselves in the face.

"Eww, that's gross Chris." Jin groaned, rubbing his eyelids in disgust.

"Thank you for that unnecessary image in my brain." Zugai mumbled, rubbing his temples with an unsuccessful attempt to get those images out.

"Sorry, guys! Couldn't help myself!" Chris laughed, scratching the back of her head. There were several groans from the crowd as well, but many of them were giggling at the sophomoric humor.

Up on the platform, Gonzo let out a whistle, impress by what he saw.

"Wow, those guys really know how to bring on the pain. Though, that kid with the knives needs to grow up a bit…" Gonzo continued to watch as the three victors congratulate each other for their hard work, oblivious to Sando's expression. Which he had none.

'So they lost, huh?' thought Sando. 'Well, not that it matters. They did their job of distracting the populace while Kaiz went to sabotage the ingredients for the final round. Not that I agree with it, but if it helps me get recognized, I'll go along. He just better make sure he didn't get caught…"

* * *

End Chapter

AN: Alright, sorry for the delay, this chapter was a b!tch to right. Do you realize how hard it is to write a fight scene with six people fighting in it?! Very difficult. And yes, I know it seems like a short battle, but what ever. I didn't want to drag it on for a long time.

Anywho, next chapter will take place around midway through the fight taken place in this chapter, starring none other than *spoiler alert!* Blitz and Kaiz!

Also, please review, maybe submit a character or two, maybe a location or plot idea, I don't care, just help me out!

Signed—Nezumimaru PS I apologize to anyone who was offended by the crude humor within this chapter. I couldn't help myself XD.


	18. Carnival Part 5

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Part 5

Parasite!

* * *

"Didn't take that long to find." Mumbled Blitz as he walked out of a building behind the large platform that held the Cooking Contest stations, stretching back on his gloves. "Zugai probably just didn't know how to break into a building very well." Blitz closed the door behind him, showing evidently that the lock, and doorknob, had been shot off, leaving only a small hole in the door.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, Blitz noticed movement, which was odd considering that everyone was supposed to be in front of the platform by now. The person seemed to have a large piece of white fur attached to his back, grey pants and crimson hair tied into two pony tails. He also was carrying a large bag over his shoulder, and chuckling manically.

Sensing something afoot, Blitz opted to follow the strange man rather than to rejoin the others in front of the platform. Sneaking as stealthily as he could, Blitz tip-toed behind the stranger, ducking behind some barrels when the man stopped by some crates.

"Too easy!" the man exclaimed, setting down his bag, "I knew I could count on those three to start a fight. Though I _was_ wondering when someone would notice Jiz's name…ah, well, back to business!" The man opened the bag, pulling out several bottles with different markings, some said 'Salt', others 'Pepper', and others 'Tabasco'. Placing them on the ground next to him, the man worked to open the first, grinning as he struggled with the bottle top. "With all this, no matter how good a cook this Gonzo character is, any food he makes with be overloaded and inedible! And thus he can't win, and Sando will! And with Sando in my pocket, the entire cash prize and the map will be mine, and I can start my very own pirate crew! This plan's positively fool proof! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!"

"Thank you, Captain Exposition." The strange man jumped, yelping in surprise. He turned quickly around to see Blitz strolling out from his hiding place, swinging his pistol on one finger. "Seriously, did you really think you could talk about your plan so loudly and think nobody would hear it? You have to be the most amateur villain I have ever come across." Blitz chuckled as he leaned up against one of the barrels, his actions and words earning the ire of the man.

"I am not an amateur!" he said, shaking his fist at Blitz. He soon stood tall and proud, posing arrogantly, "I am Kaiz, soon to be the greatest and feared pirate in the world! Tremble in fear before my presence!" Blitz continued to lean against his barrel, staring half interested at Kaiz.

"Wow. That was the most cliché line ever." Blitz said, causing Kaiz's face to darken with shock. Blitz pushed himself off the barrel to face Kaiz completely. "Look, normally I wouldn't care if a mook like you tried to fix something like this competition, heck I would probably ask if I could get a cut. But as it is I have too much riding on having Gonzo win this contest, so how about you just mosey on back to what ever hellhole you crawled out of."

"Like hell!" Kaiz spat back. "I planned a whole _seven_ minutes on this! Any plan you make that takes more than _five_ minutes to plan can't just be thrown aside because of some minor interference!" Blitz sighed, aggravated at the other man's stubbornness, raised his pistol and squeezed the trigger.

"TEKKAI!!" Kaiz moved nary a muscle from his spot, but his body seemed to tense as the bullet flew towards him, bouncing off harmlessly. Blitz watched as the bullet landed on the ground with a soft tink, then back up at Kaiz.

"I'm not just any run-of-the-mill, random encounter bad guy you may have met in the past!" Kaiz boasted, grinning proudly. "I happen to know the six forms of Rokushiki. The one I just used, Tekkai, allows me to harden by body to the strength of iron and effectively stopping most forms of attacks."

"Rokushiki?" Blitz wondered aloud, racking his brain for information. He was sure he had heard of this somewhere before. "Isn't that some sort of martial art? It makes a person a virtual living weapon, right? I thought it was only taught to Marines and World Government Agents."

"Correct on the first two." Kaiz answered, pointing his right index finger at Blitz. "As for where I learned it; I used to stow away on a Navy ship many years ago, before it ship wrecked on an island with little food. In order to stay alive, the Marine Commodore that led the crew taught me the Rokushiki, to help him hunt down his own crew for food. Of course, eventually he…"

"Blah blah blah! I didn't ask for your life story." Blitz shouted, cleaning his ear out with his pinky. Several veins began to pop on Kaiz's head as he gritted his teeth at Blitz's annoyance.

"HEY!! You know it's rude to keep interrupting people when their talking, especially when their doing a very important rant!" Kaiz shouted back, rearing his right leg back. "RANKYAKU!!" Kaiz launched his leg forward, a bright blue blade of aura emitted from his leg and sliced through the air towards Blitz.

"Shit!" Blitz jumped out of the way, as the aura blade passed him and cut straight through the barrels, slicing them clean in half. Before his feet hit the ground, Blitz holstered _Equalizer_ and drew out _Matilda_, aiming straight at Kaiz. Or at least, where Kaiz once stood.

"SORU!" Kaiz disappeared and reappeared behind Blitz, arm cocked to deliver a powerful punch. Blitz had barely a second to turn before Kaiz's fist connected with his jaw. He flipped in the air and landed on his stomach, _Matilda_ remaining firm in his grip.

"Not so not so tough now are you, Eye-patch?" Kaiz taunted, kicking Blitz in the ribs as Blitz tried to get back on his feet.

"GRAAAH!!" Blitz grunted painfully, clutching his side where he got kicked. Glaring at Kaiz's leg, Blitz gripped the barrel of his rifle and swept with the stock. Catching Kaiz's leg, Blitz successfully knocked his feet out from under him, bringing Kaiz to the ground.

"GAAHH!" Kaiz groaned as he hit the ground, landing on his side. Blitz use the opportunity to get back to his feet, twirling _Matilda_ back around so he was holding the stock and trigger again. He immediately got over Kaiz and pointed the rifle barrel right at Kaiz's face. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Kaiz's arm swiped the rifle away, knocking it out of Blitz's hand and landing up against a crate.

Blitz stepped back from Kaiz, surprised at what he saw. On Kaiz's right hand appeared to be stuck in a block of concrete, straight from the very pavement beneath them. Kaiz's forearm was coated in a similar substance, slowly forming back into flesh the further it went up the arm.

"What the hell…?" Blitz muttered.

"Had you let me finish my back story, you would have learned about this." Kaiz said, getting back to his feet. Holding up the concrete block fist, Kaiz continued, "This is the power of my Devil Fruit power, the Kyosei Kyosei No Mi. With it, I can form a symbiotic relation with any object, living or none living. I'm a Parasite Man."

"And here people say being a parasite was a bad thing." Blitz said cynically as he redrew_ Equalizer_ and fired at Kaiz. Kaiz performed another Soru, effectively dodging the shot. Blitz used the little time frame to dash over to _Matilda_ and scooped it back up, firing straight into an oncoming Kaiz.

"FFFUUAAAHHH!!" Kaiz cried in pain, clutching his now bleeding shoulder. The pain caused his to lose focus and drop the concrete over his fist, breaking into pieces on the ground.

"Guess you can't use the Tekkai crap when you're on the move." Blitz mused, jumping up onto the crates. "Now dance, mo-fo." Blitz fired another round at Kaiz's feet.

"GEPPOU!" Kaiz jumped into the air, and before he could fall back down to earth, jumped in mid-air, gaining a height advantage over Blitz. "RANKYAKU!!" Kaiz launched another blade of aura at Blitz, barely managed to hop off the crates before they were turned into wooden sushi.

"Cryo Shot!" Blitz shouted, firing a blue round into Kaiz's leg. Rather than cause a bullet wound, it encased Kaiz's leg in ice, restricting both his movement and his overall weight, making it harder for him to stay in the air with Geppou. But Kaiz just smirked and with a little concentration, his leg began to phase right out of the ice! The solid ice fell to the ground, shattering into multiple shards.

"Another bonus from my Devil Fruit," Kaiz said, using Geppou to remain aloft, "is my ability to 'phase' through object I create a symbiosis with. Makes it really easy to escape from restraints."

"Electro Shot!" A yellow streak whizzed through the air from Blitz's rilfe and into Kaiz's abdomen. Kaiz's body spazed for a few seconds from the electrical overload, but those few seconds was enough for gravity to take hold of Kaiz, who could no longer keep his Geppou going. Kaiz crashed into the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust on impact.

"Phase through that." Blitz mocked, placing _Matilda _on his shoulder. Observing that Kaiz wasn't getting up, Blitz walked over to his body to investigate. He reached down to touch Kaiz's neck and check for a pulse. No sooner than he did, Kaiz snatched both of Blitz's arms.

"HEY! Let go!" Blitz grunted, struggling to break free. Despite Kaiz's thin appearance, he was surprisingly strong. Kaiz grinned wickedly as his body began to fuse with Blitz's, fist the arms, then the torso, the finally the legs. When it was all over, Kaiz's body had disappeared inside Blitz's, only his head sticking out from the side of Blitz's neck.

"Looks like you've fallen into my trap." Kaiz gloated, his sharp and pointed teeth inches away from Blitz's face. "Now that I've created a symbiosis with you, I can rob your body of all its nutrients. In this manner, I can destroy your body inside out, painfully and slowly. Now, I can be a nice guy once in a while, so if agree to not interfere with my plans again, I will let you go. If not, you die a torturous death. Pick your poison." Blitz's eye grew wide. He had not expected this turn of events. Right now, his very life hung in the balance, determined by the chose that he had to make at that moment. Live or Die? Survival or Honor.

'Well, I don't like either option…' thought Blitz, almost feeling his body decaying by second, 'So I could go with option C; crazy, stupid option C.' Before Kaiz could react, Blitz grabbed his Bowie Knife from its sheath and stabbed himself in the leg, right above the kneecap. The pain was excruciating, but Blitz was able to ignore the pain in his leg by focusing the pain in his ears, from Kaiz's screaming.

"HOLY F%$^!!!" Kaiz screeched, eye wide in pain, "WHAT THE HELL, MAN!!"

"Just as I thought," Blitz said, flinching in pain as he drew the knife out from his leg, "When in a symbiosis, you feel the pain of whatever you are leeching off of. So as long as you're in my body, any pain I feel, you feel. Just like how most parasites suffer when their host is ill or dies. So now we get to see who can tolerate more pain, me," Blitz then lifted his knife once more and stabbed himself in his right shoulder, right under Kaiz's face, "or you!"

"YOU CRAZY MOTHERF%$^ER!!!" Kaiz shouted, stretching his next to try and further himself from Blitz, "YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF!!"

"Yeah, maybe." Blitz said, holding up the knife under Kaiz's nose, causing Kaiz to sweat in fear, "But I get to do so on my terms, not yours. Plus I can take you down with me. That is, if you want to keep feeding off me." Kaiz's eyes narrowed. He knew what Blitz was asking, and slowly defused from Blitz, starting with the shoulders to upper torso, to lower torso, the finally he was fully out of Blitz. Kaiz was now bleeding from his other shoulder and his left leg, where Blitz had stabbed himself when they were fused.

"You're one crazy bastard, you know that?" Kaiz muttered, struggling to stay on his feet as he back away from Blitz. Blitz chuckled and sat on the ground, breathing a little heavier than before.

"I guess I am." Blitz said, reaching up to grab _Dragon's Roar_ and aim it at Kaiz, "But then again, I may just now fear death the same as you." Kaiz's eye widened yet again as the cannon began to glow red from its firing port…

* * *

In front of the platform, Chris, Jin, and Zugai were just about to leave the acrobat's circle when a flaming object crashed through the second station of the Cooking Contest platform. Several people screamed in terror and ran as the fireball landed in the circle. The three pirates, though still tuckered out from their fight, took defensive stances, ready to attack this new foe.

"F%$^ING S#!$!!!" shouted the burning object, rolling all over the ground to put the fire out. "I'M FREAKING BURNING! HELP ME!" Acting quickly, Jin clapped his hands together and created a hose of water, putting out the fire in a heartbeat.

Smoldering, Kaiz shakily got to his feet, his fur piece burning off of his back, along with the straps that held it to place. Upon his now bare back, the words "NO FUTURE, NO PAST" could be seen, seemingly branded on many years ago. A small stand of hair still burned on Kaiz's head, but he simply licked his fingers and pinched it out.

"Yikes, if I hadn't used Tekkai right then…I'd be dead right now." Kaiz said, coughing and gasping for air. He brushed some soot off his shoulder, oblivious to the fact that people were staring at him. 'But still, using Tekkai should have kept me from moving from the spot, for even catching on fire! I guess I'm not as skilled at the higher forms as I thought.'

'Damn, what happened back there?' thought Sando, looking at the wreckage that remained of the second cooking station. 'Did he get caught? Are we busted?' As Sando fretted over the prospect of being caught cheating, Chris and Jin approached Kaiz, unaware that of who he was and what he did.

"Hey mister, you alright?" Jin asked, looking Kaiz over for anymore fires.

"What happened to you?" Chris asked, looking at the branded words on Kaiz's back. "And what is that supposed to mean, anyway?"

"It was branded on me by my teacher and caretaker as a child." Kaiz said, in a rare form of seriousness. "It's supposed to signify that I am a nobody, always has and always will be. I usually hide it, so that no one can see it and judge me. I just want to prove that I do have a past, and a future. That I am someone." Chris and Jin looked at him in wonderment, fully understanding what he meant by those words.

"Dammit, Jin! Why'd you save him so soon?" All attention as drawn to the hole where station two once stood. Blitz limbed through using _Matilda_ as a crutch, resting on the remains of the stove. "You should have let him cook for a while longer! That Parasite-Bastard tried to rig the Contest!" Gasps filled the square as Jin and Chris leapt back from Kaiz, ready to fight.

"He tried to what?!" Shouted Gonzo, cracking his knuckles as he glared at Kaiz. "How dare you! Do you not realize the honor and pride at work here? We work our asses off for these meals and for this contest! For the opinion of taste to be tampered with for the sake of money, that's just low! Right Sando?" Gonzo looked over at Sando, who face was down turned, his eyes hidden from view. "Sando?" Without warning, Sando grabbed the sides of his cooking pot Kushinbo, swinging it with all his might at Gonzo.

"Cauldron Clobber!" Sando shouted, striking Gonzo in the side of the head. The force of the blow knocked Gonzo off the platform, any people that still remain in the first few row were not gone, trying to flee from the continued conflict.

"Sando, why?" Gonzo asked, picking himself up and wiping some dirt from his face.

"Simple, I wanted to be recognized." Sando said monotonously, looking down at the fishman. "I didn't want to resort to cheating, but I figured that none here would be much a challenge, so I figured I would just use my weaker recipes. Either way I would have won. And by sharing the prize money with my…co-conspirators…they would allow me to join their crew, allowing me to more easily travel the world and recognize my dream; to be the greatest chef in the world." Glancing at Kaiz, Sando said, "But now the cheating has been exposed. If I wish to remain with the crew, I will show loyalty to my captain. I will fight beside him in this fight. That is my honor and pride."

"So that's how it's going to be, huh?" Gonzo said lowering his head in slight anger. "While I can respect you for your loyalty to your comrades, I can't respect you as a fellow chef. You put aside skill and hard work for and easy win. You put aside sportsmanship for glory. And you WHACKED ME IN THE HEAD WITH A CAST IRON POT!!!!" Gonzo flexed his arm muscles, clearly showing his intent to fight. "Don't think I'm going to let you off easily, or I'm not the former chef of the 'Great White' Pirates, 'Cascade' Gonzo!" Even more gasps from the crowd floated around the square. No one in the town had known Gonzo was a pirate!

"Aha! So Gonzo's already a pirate!" Blitz chirped happily, despite his wounds. "I knew there was something about him I liked!" Suddenly, Kaiz appeared behind Gonzo, his finger pointed straight into Gonzo's back.

"SHIGAN!" Kaiz shouted, pushing a large amount of force from his finger into Gonzo's broad back.

"Force Shot!" a near invisible streak flew though the air and struck Kaiz, knocking him off his feet before he could finish with the attack. Looking over at where the shot came from, Gonzo saw Blitz holding _Matilda _in his left hand, resting the barrel against a bare cupboard. His right arm was held against his chest as blood flowed down from his shoulder. "Don't worry, Fish Fry, I got your back!"

"But you're bleeding! A lot!" Gonzo shouted back, worried that Blitz may pass out from blood loss.

"And you have an ugly shirt. But you don't hear me complaining!" Blitz said, firing another round at Kaiz who attempted to blindside Gonzo yet again. "But you've got to keep your head in the game, Gonzo! Chris, Jin, Zuagi! Evacuate the townspeople, I got a feeling this may get a bit destructive!" The other three nodded and hurried off to usher the people out of the square as quickly as possible. Sando jumped down from the platform with Kushinbo on his back, his kitchen knife Oroshi in hand.

"I know I am a better chef than you, Gonzo," Sando said, pointing his knife menacingly at Gonzo. "But now I can show I am a better combatant, too. Using my skills in the kitchen, I have mastered the art known as Ryori Kenpo. Watch as my speed and agility outmatch your clumsy brute strength, just like how my delicate and well prepare dishes out match that sorry excuse you call food."

"Ok, not only are you insulting the position as a chef by cheating and using kitchen utensils for combat, but you're also insulting my style of cooking _and_ my ability to fight." Gonzo growled angrily, veins popping in his neck. "You're just digging yourself deeper and deeper into a hole you already can't get out of, kid." Lunging at Sando, Gonzo added, "Time to put your money where your mouth is! 20 Gallons: Prime Rib!" Gonzo struck forward with a straight out punch, one that Sando dodge with ease. Gonzo's fist connected with the Contest platform, causing it to break and shatter.

"I may not be able to deny your destructive power," Sando said, looking at the wreckage Gonzo caused. "But your style is just like your 'cooking', unskillful and uncontrolled.

"You know, there's an old saying," Gonzo said, glaring at Sando, "if you don't have anything nice to say, shut the hell up and fight already!"

"Well, those two are kicking it off nicely." Blitz muttered, keeping Kaiz as bay with another shot near the feet. "I just hope that if they do any more damage to property, the town won't make us pay for it."

"Like you said to the fishman," barked Kaiz, hurling a Rankyku at Blitz, "keep your head in the game!"

* * *

End chapter

Notes—Yeah, sorry for cutting it off there, leaving you hanging in the middle of a fight, but look on the bright side. Next chapter is a two-on-two match and (hopefully) a conclusion to this arc! And in case you haven't noticed, Kaiz's Devil Fruit is very similar to Sakon and Ukon's Kekkei Genkai, from Naruto.

Signed—Nezumimaru PS: For those of you who have read the latest chapter of One Piece, I think you all would agree with me: Whitebeard is the most badass motherf%$^er that ever lived, manga or otherwise.


	19. Canival Part 6

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Carnival Part 6

The Grand Finale!

* * *

As Gonzo and Blitz fought Kaiz and Sando, Jin Chris and Zugai hurried the townsfolk out of the square as quickly as possible. Although many had agreeably fled, there were a few straglers who either wanted to watch the fight or thought it was part of the show.

"Move it, people, move it!" Chris shouted, pushing a man more than twice her size away from the fight. "Things are about to get real ugly, and you don't want to be apart of it." Several feet from her, a few drunken brawlers tried to get their way to the square to join in on the fighting, but Jin made short work of them with a power hose-like attack from his arm.

Zugai had decided to drag Team JTA, bound together by rope, as a means of keeping them from harm and keeping them from escaping. He stopped only once to catch his breath, motioning some townsfolk to keep moving.

"Your friend can't beat Big Bro Kaiz." Zugai was startled by the voice, looking down to seen that Jiz had woken up. "Big Bro Kaiz may not have fully mastered all the forms of the Rokushiki, but he has mastered enough of the six forms to beat any one." Zugai closed his eyes and shook his head.

"You're wrong, kid." He said, continuing to drag the three roped siblings to safety. "I think Blitz has a very good chance of beating that Kaiz freak. Plus he has Gonzo, who looks like he can take care of himself in a fight. I'm not worried."

* * *

"Think we should be worried?" asked Blitz. He and Gonzo were both crouched behind the remains of the second kitchen station, barricading themselves from Kaiz's onslaught of Rankyakus.

"Not in the least." Gonzo said confidently, slowly getting up to peek over the side of the battered stove. Just as he did, a large blue blade of force sped right past him, grazing the side of his face and drawing blood. Gonzo instantly crouched back down behind cover, wiping the blood from his check. "Okay, maybe we should worry a little bit." Blitz sighed heavily as he slapped in a new magazine of ammo into his rifle.

"Who knew just two guys could cause so much trouble?" Blitz asked, carefully reaching around the stove with _Matilda_ without exposing himself. "Ok, here's the plan. I'll shoot a few rounds at them, making a break in the attacks. Then you get out there and knock them silly."

"Wait, why am I the one that has to go out there?" Gonzo asked, slightly miffed at the idea of going out to fight alone.

"Uh, duh." Blitz said, glancing at Gonzo. "You're a close range, up-in-your-face fighter. I'm more of a long range, snipe-you-in-the-face kind of guy." Gonzo blinked a few times before shrugging, content with the logic. Having received an okay for the plan, Blitz got his rifle into position and squeezed off several rounds. As soon as he did, Gonzo leaped over the broken stove and charged at their adversaries.

"Kami-e!" Kaiz began to sway and float where he stood, like a piece of paper in the wind. He easily dodged the on coming bullets, anticipating them. What he didn't anticipate was Gonzo jumping out from his hiding spot to charge at him.

"20 Gallons: Prime Rib!" Gonzo swung hard with his fist, connect square in Kaiz's chest. Due to the Kami-e causing him to become lighter, the punch caused Kaiz to fly several feet and crashed into the side of a building on the outside of the plaza. Kaiz hacked up blood as he tired to get back up to his feet.

"Here! Take this!" Shouted Sando, rushing to Kaiz and handing him a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "Take a swig of my Black Roast special!" Kaiz didn't stop to ask how Sando was able to brew coffee so fast. He just grabbed the cup and downed the back liquid. Almost as soon as he had swallowed, Kaiz's eyes lit up with new found energy and shot straight up to his feet.

"Yes! Back in action!" Kaiz shouted, pumping his fists into the air. Clenching them, Kaiz swung down hard and slammed his fists into the ground. But rather than destroy the pavement beneath him, his fist fused with the ground and partially turning his forearms into the same substance. Grunting, Kaiz pulled his arms back up, big blocks of concrete surrounding his fists and leaving two holes in the ground.

"Well, crap." Was all Gonzo could get out before Kaiz connected his concrete covered hand with Gonzo's jaw, knocking him clear off his feet. Kaiz grinned evilly, relishing in his current control of the fight.

"Monkey shit!" shouted Blitz, aiming _Matilda_ straight at Kaiz's head, intent on blowing his brains out. 'Now that he's at 100% energy again, it'll be like fighting him all over again!' A small tingle crept down the back of his neck, causing Blitz to hesitate. 'Why does it seem like I'm forgetting something?'

"Ryori Kenpo: Strong Spice!" Blitz barely had time to turn his head before it was struck with the sole of Sando foot, sending him out from his hiding place and into the open square. As he regained him footing, Blitz wiped off the blood trickling from his mouth and glared at Sando, who stood with his knife in hand.

"I am more than just a world class chef, Eye-patch." Sando said, rolling his shoulders to stretch them out. "I have also created a martial art known as Ryori Kenpo, a style that aids my movement and speed in both battlefield and cooking situations. I have trained myself to the point were even a slight hand-chop can slice through wooden boards like a well made blade."

"Wow, for someone who is supposed to cook, you sure to like to heard yourself talk." Blitz taunted, bringing up his rifle. "How about we do something about that? Rifle: Cryo Shot!" Blitz pulled the trigger and a blue bolt shot out of the rifle. Sando jumped to the side with inhuman speed, thought it was not enough to avoid his leg getting struck, encasing it in ice.

"Gaah!" Sando grunted, the freezing chill of the ice practically removing all feeling in his leg.

"Damn, I was aiming for your mouth." Blitz grumbled. Sando gritted his teeth in frustration, and with all the might he could muster, jumped into the air despite his leg. Sando then lifted his encased leg in heel drop fashion.

"Ryori Kenpo: Drumstick Meyhem!" Sando shouted as he brought his frozen leg down on Blitz. Blitz instinctively gripped _Matilda_ and brought her up to block Sando's attack, chipping off a bit of ice on collision.

"Blitz!" Gonzo yelled, pushing himself up to his feet to help Blitz.

"Nah uh uh!" Kaiz scolded as he attacked Gonzo from behind, "Mind who you're fighting!" Kaiz swung his right hand into the air, releasing the concrete block mid-air. As the block flew up into the air, Kaiz pressed his right index finger into Gonzo's shoulder, shouting "Shigan!" Blood splattered from Gonzo's shoulder as a bullet sized hole appeared where Kaiz's finger was, an inch deep, causing Gonzo to scream in pain. As Gonzo recoiled Kaiz lifted his leg, catching the falling concrete block and fusing it with his foot, and swung it down with force.

"Mega-Rankyaku!" As Kaiz's leg dropped down, the blue force that followed was thicker than the previous ones, matching the thickness of the concrete block. The Rankyaku blade sliced into Gonzo's back, creating a large wound that went diagonally from left to right.

"AAAARRGG!!" Gonzo screamed, falling face first into the ground, his back bleeding profusely. Kaiz stood above proud of his handy work.

"Darn, that Shigan was supposed to go all the way through. Guess I still need to work on that one a little bit." Kaiz mused, releasing the block from his foot. "Oh, well. I won't be needing it to end you, anyway." Kaiz raised his left hand, still covered in concrete, execution style over Gonzo's head.

"Son of a…" Blitz cursed, seeing the predicament Gonzo was in. He forcefully pushed Sando to the side from the block, and took aim at Kaiz. With a loud crack of thunder, the concrete block over Kaiz's fist shattered, and smoke billowed out of _Matilda_'s muzzle. Blitz sighed, as the concrete block was mere inches away from Gonzo's head before Blitz shot it.

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted throughout his back, causing Blitz to kneel over in pain. Looking behind him, Blitz saw Sando standing there holding his knife, covered in blood.

"You know, you crazy chef," Blitz said, gritting his teeth as pain racked his body, "I am getting real sick and tired of you!" Grabbing _Dragon's Roar_ from his back, Blitz pointed the cannon at Sando and fired, not caring which shot was next to be fired. But Sando proved to be the faster, and jumped out of the way in time. On the outside of the town square, the corner of a building's roof exploded, creating a sizable hole from the cannon fire. "Shit." Blitz swore upon seeing the damage he caused. "I hope I don't have to pay for that." The explosion drew the attention of Kaiz away from a writhing Gonzo, whistling as he saw the damage as well.

"Geez, Talk about overkill." Kaiz mutter before turning back to his prey. But his prey took advantage of Kaiz's momentary distraction, winding up for a powerful punch.

"20 Gallon: Prime Rib!" Gonzo swung his fist with all his might into Kaiz's face, almost breaking the skull as he sent Kaiz flying several feet away from him, blood dripping from Kaiz's mouth and nose. "That's enough out of you." Gonzo said as he got to his feet, wiping some stray blood from his chin. As Kaiz tried to get to his feet, Sando was soon at his side to help him up. At the same time, Blitz hurried over to Gonzo's side.

"Okay Gonzo, here's the plan." Blitz said, not taking his eyes off of their opponents. "These two are obviously faster than either of us, and if we stay separated they'll easily pick us apart. So we need to stick close together if we want to beat these two."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Gonzo said, rubbing his right shoulder. "So I'll deal with Sando if he gets too close, and you keep the red haired guy at bay when he uses those Rankyaku things?" Blitz nodded in approval. Gonzo took a fighting stance while Blitz raised up _Matilda_ to take aim. Kaiz and Sando also took stances as they talked over their plan.

"Looks like they're strategizing." Kaiz said, glaring at the two some feet away from him. "I'll pepper them with my Rankyaku, while you try and…"

"I'll whip something up that's give us an edge in this fight." Sando interrupted, starting to cook something in his shack-sized pot. With a confused look from Kaiz, Sando elaborated. "Part of my Ryori Kenpo allows me to create certain dishes in a small amount of time, like that Black Roast coffee I made earlier. These dishes don't just taste good; they also increase my fighting capabilities or hinder my opponent's. While they get weaker and more worn our…"

"We'll stay strong and energized." Kaiz finished, now understanding Sando's plan. Nodding, Kaiz jumped into the air with his Geppou technique, leaving Sando to make fighting dishes.

"Here he comes!" Gonzo yelled, crossing his arms over his upper torso in a blocking fashion.

"Rankyaku Downpour!" From his place high above Blitz and Gonzo, Kaiz launched several dozen small, quick blades of force. From the ground, it looked like it was a huge rain downpour. Blitz and Gonzo attempted to dodge the falling Rankyaku blades, managing to avoid the direct attacks and getting nicks and big scratches as they weaved through the storm.

"Enough of this!" Blitz said angrily, aiming at Kaiz as a Rankyaku blade gave him a cut on his arm. "Rifle: Inferno Shot!" A bolt of red shot into the air, bypassing the blades on its way to the source, Kaiz. Upon contact, Kaiz's right leg lit up in flames. As Kaiz cried out in pain, Sando threw up to him a tall cylindrical glass fill with liquid.

"Here, Kaiz. Take this." Sando said as Kaiz caught the glass. "It's my special Iced Tea. Not only does it taste superb, but it's also useful for putting out small fires and treating burns!" Kaiz nodded and doused the Iced Tea onto the flames on his leg, putting them out almost instantly. Turning his head to face Blitz and Gonzo, Sando grabbed another object he whipped up and threw it at them, shouting, "Pepper Roll!" The object, a tan biscuit roll, landed at Blitz and Gonzo's feet, exploding in a cloud of pepper.

"Achoo!" Sneezed the two, and they continued to sneeze as the pepper cloud subsided. "Achoo! Damn, ob all de tings it had to be, it had ta be pepp…a…a…a…achoo!" lamented Blitz, rubbing his nose that was currently dripping.

"Could be worse." Gonzo said in between sneezes, "He could have used pepper spray!" Without warning, Blitz reached up and smacked Gonzo on the back of his head.

Seeing that his foes were distracted, Kaiz landed on the ground and fused his feet in the concrete, pulling them up to make two blocks on his feet. Performing a handstand, Kazi launched force from both of his swinging legs.

"Double Mega-Rankyaku!" Kaiz shouted as the force blades flew towards his foes, forming a large X. Acting as quickly as he could from the sneezing, Blitz grabbed _Dragon's_ _Roar_ from his back and knelt down; trying to keep his aim during the sporadic sneezing.

"Cannon, achoo!: Ram Shot! Achoo!" He sneezed, as a large blast erupted from the cannon, taking a form of a large ram. The giant ram blazed through the air until it collided with the Mega-Rankyaku X, resulting in a humongous explosion. Dust and chips of concrete rolled out from the epicenter like a dark storm cloud, obscuring everything within 30 feet.

Kaiz closed his eyes tight to protect them from the blast and dust, nearly losing his balance as he flipped back to his feet from his handstand. With all that was going on around him, the noise and dust, Kaiz almost didn't register a loud voice shouting from the dust cloud.

"35 Gallons: Rump Roast!" Straining, Kaiz managed to open his eyes just enough to see a big fishman leg smash into his face. The strength behind the attack caused Kaiz to be rocketed back, landing hard near Sando. Seeing his partner land next to him, Sando gritted his teeth and grabbed yet another dish from his pot, which seemed to look like several sardines.

"Take a taste of this! Onion Sardine!" Sando threw the sardines in Gonzo's direction, going through the air like fish-shaped bullets. Almost as soon as Gonzo got into a defensive stance, Blitz ran in front of him, sniffling but no longer sneezing, holding the barrel of _Matilda_.

"First pepper, now sardines with onions *sniff*? You are one sadistic chef." Blitz said with a grinned, winding up the rifle behind his head. "Rifle Grand Slam!" Just as the onion-scented sardines came into range, Blitz knocked them back with _Matilda_ like they were baseballs. The sardine flew back at Sando and a now upright Kaiz, smacking them in the face and upper torso. Almost immediately, the combined smell of sardines and onions caused their eyes to swell and water.

"Oh that went wrong! That went horribly wrong!" cried Sando as he pinched his nose in an attempt to block out the horrible smell. With the two were writhing from the smell, Gonzo capitalized.

"100 Gallons: Cut The Cake!" With a mighty karate chop, Gonzo struck the ground. The force caused a fissure to erupted, cracking and parting the town square in a path towards Kaiz and Sando. As soon as it reached them, the ground exploded beneath them, sending them high into the air. On the ground, Blitz shouldered _Dragon's Roar_ and aimed it at the two.

"Hey, Gonzo." Blitz began to ask, "How do you like your victory: well-done, medium rare, or extra crispy?"

"Well, usually I like 'em medium rare," Gonzo said, pointing up at Kaiz and Sando, "but today, I'm feeling like EXTRA CRISPY!!" Blitz nodded, and with a one swift move pulled the trigger on the cannon, a blaze of red blasting from the port.

"Cannon: Inferno Shot!" A great ball of flame engulfed Kaiz and Sando, burning their entire body. Even as they fell, they screeched in pain. By the time they had landed—creating a small crater in the process—the flames had gone out, but the damage was done. Both Kaiz and Sando had lost consciousness, their burnt forms sprawled out on the ground.

Blitz and Gonzo walked over to them to make sure they were down and out for good, Blitz poking Kaiz with _Matilda_ for good measure. Content with the two would-be criminals' condition, Blitz turned to Gonzo.

"Well, now that that's all done with, there's only one thing left to do." Blitz said, holstering his rifle on his back. Gonzo looked at him, confused by his words.

"What do you mean?" Gonzo asked. Blitz chuckled, and held out his hand.

"The Contest may not be over officially, but I think it's clear on who the winner is. So with the contest over, you need to fulfill your end of our deal." Gonzo thought about this for a moment, a small smile creeping onto his face. With great enthusiasm, Gonzo grasped Blitz's hand and shook it.

"Welcome aboard the Battle Master Pirates, 'Cascade' Gonzo."

* * *

Mere minutes later, the unconscious Kaiz and Sando were tied together and placed next to the JTA siblings. A crudely patched up and bandaged Blitz and Gonzo stood over them, along with the other Battle Master pirates, quite proud of their hard work and accomplishment.

"Er, excuse me, fine gentlemen." Hearing the voice, the five turned to see the town Mayor, who was nervously wringing his hand. "Um, yes. Well, concidering that Sando was involved in an attempt to rig the contest, Gonzo you win by default along with the first place prize: One half of the betting money. And Mr. Jin wins the other half for placing a bet—though with a rather unorthodox bet—on you. But, I also have to ask you all to leave, or else I will have you pay for all the damage you caused during the fight." The pirates and Gonzo grinned sheepishly, Gonzo scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Blitz said. The Mayor nodded and walked away to organize the reconstruction of the town square. Blitz walked over to the relatively untouched betting booth, still filled with money. "The only problem is: how are we going to move all this money? We don't have a bag big enough to carry it all…" Suddenly, an idea came to Blitz. He turned to Chris, a slight glint in his eye.

"You have a glint in your eye, Blitz." Chris observed, crossing her arms. "That's never a good sign."

"We're going to be needing that bag of yours Chris." Blitz said, trying to keep straight face as he spoke. "Meaning your going to have to leave all those novelties behind." Chris's eyes widened and her jaws dropped, disbelieving of what she just heard.

"WHAT!?" Chris shouted. "I worked hard to win all those stuffed animals and other stuff. I am not giving them up ever!" Blitz, eyes half-closed, crossed his arm and stared at Chris.

"And just what do you plan to do with them? Surround your cot with them like a little girl's bedroom?" Asked Blitz, half mocking her. Small red dots appeared on Chris's cheeks as she huffed and marched over to her large bag of assorted toys. Grabbing the tied opening, Chris undid the rope and allowed the bag to empty.

"Hey! Any kid who wants a free toy; they're up for grabs right now!" Chris shouted, cupping her hands near her mouth as she broadcasted to any nearby children. Almost instantly, a large mob of kids flooded the square, grabbing as many toys as their little arms could hold before disappearing as fast as they came, giggling and laughing the whole time. Chris shook her head in disappointment, wishing she could have kept the toys she earned.

"Sheesh, they didn't even stick around to say thank you." Zugai mused in annoyance. "Kinda like with Kaiz and the others; taking the easy route without thinking of others." Just as he went over to pick up the bag, Zugai noticed that there was something left inside of it. "Huh, those little rascals missed one." Picking it up, Zugai found that it was a small stuffed teddy bear, with its left eye missing and several seams coming loose.

"Oh, its kind of messed up." Jin said as he inspected the bear. "Guess they didn't want a defect bear." Suddenly, a grin came to Jin's face as he fished out a marker from his jacket. "I usually carry one of these around, just in case I feel like mapping an area. I can make a slight improvement." Taking the bear from Zugai, Jin scribbled on the bear's face over the area of the left eye. Blitz watched over his shoulder, grinning as he saw what Jin was doing.

"Brilliant, Jin." Blitz snickered as Jin handed the bear to Chris.

"Here you go Chris, the fruit of your labor." Jin grinned, chuckling as Chris took the bear to inspect it. Chris's face contorted in confusion at first, but realization dawned on her as she understood what Jin had put on the bear.

"Jin, you douche!" Chris shouted, taking a swipe at the navigator. Jin laughed as he dodged the attack and ran off the betting booth, with Chris in hot pursuit. Chuckling, Blitz picked up the large empty bag and followed, both to claim the money prize, and to keep Chris from finding a way to kill the Logia-user. Zugai and Gonzo stood confused at what had happened.

"What did Jin draw on the bear?" Gonzo asked Blitz, as he and an equally curious Zugai jogged to catch up with him.

"Nothing, it's nothing." Blitz said, stilling chuckling, "It just one of those things you're going to have to get use to on this crew." Gonzo was still confused, but he decided to let it go for now. They had work to do, and he a new crew to cook for.

* * *

End Chapter

AN: I profusely apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I contracted the flu just before Spring break, taking me out of commission for over a week, thus I could not work on Neo One Piece, or update for all this time. Plus there were the problems of the computer virus and finding time to get on the computer after it was fixed. Again I apologize.

But at least this arc is over and the Battle Master Pirates gained a cook and a bit of spending money. This one was a doozy, fighting scenes are hard. And what did Jin draw on the bear? Maybe we'll find out later, when you least expect it. For now, I want it to be a mystery.

Captain: Blitz

First Mate: Chris Hopkins

Shipwright: Zugai Hibiware

Navigator: Jin Namura

Cook: Gonzo

Signed—Nezumimaru


	20. Healing Spire

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

The Healing Spire!

* * *

After a few days out from Carkan Island, the day proved to be beautiful, cheerful one. The warm sun was shining, the seagulls were cawing, the vibrant blue sea was as calm as a clam……

"OW!!" and Gonzo was getting his bandages changed. So it wasn't all cheerful. "Can't you be a little more careful?!" Gonzo shouted at an equally agitated Chris Hopkins, who had a roll of bandages in her hand.

"I'm doing the best I can!" Chris shouted back, pinching Gonzo on the nose, "And it's not helping that you keep flinching and squirming!" Gonzo swatted her hand away and growled at her. Chris, however, was not intimidated, getting right into his face and growling back.

"Can you two keep it down, please?" asked Jin from his seat near the bow of the ship, "I'm trying to calculate how long it'll take to get to the next island." Chris and Gonzo glared in his direction, more so that he was laying on a sun chair as he read his map, in total relaxation.

"Ugh, it can't be helped." Sighed Chris in exasperation. Looking around the deck of the Howling Moon, she noticed that two members of the crew were not present. "Hey, has anyone seen Zugai or Blitz?"

"Zugai is in his workshop." Gonzo answered, thumbing in the direction of the workshop door next to the men's quarters. "He's been most of the day, working on something. Blitz…has not left the captain's cabin yet, even though it's almost noon. He's probably still asleep."

"So I'm going to work on you alone, huh?" Chris muttered, returning to wrapping up Gonzo's shoulder, where he got hit by Kaiz's Shigan. As she worked, a look of regret came over her face as she remembered the fight back in Carkan.

"What's with the long face, Chris?" Gonzo asked her. Chris shook her head continued to wrapp up Gonzo.

"It's…it's just that those guys we fought," Chris said, trying to put what she felt in words, "all they were trying to was follow their dream of becoming pirates, right? Now they're that much farther from that dream. Are we bad people for taking that away from them?" As he listened, Gonzo nodded he head solemnly, understanding what Chris was saying.

"The thing is Chris, sometimes in the pursuit of your own goals and dreams, you have to stomp on those of other people." He said, gazing out into the vast ocean. "If you question your dreams by comparing them to the dreams of others, then you never were serious about pursuing that dream in the first place." Chris stared at Gonzo, the wisdom of his words sinking into her mind. With a slight chuckle, Chris went back to patching Gonzo up, a smile now adoring her face.

"IT'S FINISHED!!!!" From within the confines of the workshop burst out Zugai, pulling a portable grill made from bones. The grill barely fit through the door, it was so big. It was so big could easily accommodate for three steaks the size of a man's chest. It also had a hinged roof. "As per the orders of our captain, I present to you our brand new mobile grilling station, Honeyaki!" Gonzo leapt to his feet, startling Chris, and stared at the new grill. In to corner of his eyes, small beads of water started to form.

"It's…beautiful…" Gonzo said, tears of joy seeping down his face. "It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!" In a flash, Gonzo was dress in a tall chef hat and a large apron with the words '_Kiss The Cook_' written in red letter on it. "ALRIGHT! Let's fire this baby up!" Gonzo shouted enthusiastically, pumping his fist in the air, only to recoil in pain from the sudden movement. His back injury still hasn't fully healed yet, it seemed.

"Alright, settle down Big Guy." Jin said with a laugh, getting up from his chair. "I'll go get Blitz, he'll want to be the first to experience the food from this." He walked past the others as they started to prepare the new grill and up the stairs to the upper deck where the door to the captain's cabin was. Knocking on the door, Jin waited a few moments for Blitz to come to the door. After it seemed like he wasn't coming, Jin opened the door the cabin, fully realizing that this was the first time anyone on the crew has seen the inside—other than Zugai, who built the ship, but even he has yet to see what it looks like after Blitz moved in.

Inside, Jin saw that it was only slightly different compared to the crew's quarters. The only real differences was the desk positioned in front of the windows in the rear of the ship, which was cluttered with various tools for cleaning and taking apart firearms, and a large cabinet that currently held Blitz's guns. On the opposite wall as the cabinet was a bed with a chest trunk at the foot of it, and sitting on the bed facing the door was Blitz. Blitz appeared to have not noticed Jin's entrance, as he was staring at his leg, unbound from the bandages and leaking greenish pus along with a small amount of blood. Jin stared at the pus as if it was an alien ripping out of Blitz's chest.

"Um, should it be doing that?" Jin asked nervously, taking a few hesitant steps towards Blitz.

"I don't think so." Blitz answered, finally acknowledging Jin's presence. "I think it may be an infection, but I don't know much about medical stuff." Wrapping his leg back up, Blitz slowly got up from the bed, hissing in pain as he took a few steps to the door. Jin soon caught him and pushed him back down on the bed.

"You'd better stay off your leg for a while." Jin advised, walking out the door. "We shouldn't be far from the next island. We might be able to find a doctor there who can take a look at that."

"I'm fine, I don't need a doctor." Blitz whined. "Beside, I don't trust anyone who took an oath that sounds so similar to 'hypocrite'." Jin shook his head and closed the door, prompting Blitz lay back down on the bed, grumbling about his rotten luck.

* * *

Sure enough, almost noon the next day, the Howling Moon came within sight of an island identified by Jin as Spire Island. As the name suggested, it looked like a steep mountain jutting out of the ocean. The town on the island appeared to be layered in tiers. At the base of the mountain island, at sea level, was a small port that surrounded the entire island. There were warehouses and other buildings just past the docks. The three higher tiers had a series of houses, restaurants and businesses. So steep was the mountain, that the only way to get travel between the tiers was one of several elevators in the tier walls. The streets were bustling with people going about their everyday tasks, riding up and down the elevators to reach their various destinations.

Settling into one of the docking areas, the Battle Master Pirates couldn't help but stand in awe at the sight of such a town.

"Well, would you look like that?" Jin whistled, gazing at all different levels, trying to see where what each tier specialized in. Bottom was fishing and storing, that was easy to see. The next tier seemed to house many different restaurants and food stores, the third had other businesses, and the top tier must be the residential area.

"Wow, such architecture!" Zugai said. Both the buildings and the tier walls were made of expertly cut stone, built tall and strong with roofs slanted towards the ocean. This was most likely for incase of stormy weather.

"It looks like a big cake!" The others glanced over at Gonzo, faces void of expression. Shrugging his shoulders, Gonzo said, "Well it does."

"Whatever." Blitz shrugged, hobbling over to the side of the boat with his rifle-crutch. "Let's just get this over with. The sooner we get to a stupid doctor and leave, the better."

"Aw, is the little Blitzy afraid of a little check up with the doctor?" Chris teased, giggling at Blitz's plight.

"I am not!" Blitz shouted back at her, starting carefully down a ladder to the docks. "And if you say that I am again, you're going back home. BY SWIMMING!" Giggling again, Chris followed him down the ladder along with the others. As soon as they reached the docks, they noticed a group of men with fishing poles passing by.

"Maybe they can give us directions to a doctor." Jin mused aloud, trekking over to the fishermen. Blitz hung back, none too eager to see a doctor, when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

This 'something' was in fact a pretty young girl who looked about 19 years old, with long, curly brown hair that had silver highlights and blue-grey eyes. Standing at about 5'6", she wore a light blue shirt over her modest bust, as well as black pants and shoes. Given her athletic build, it was apparent that she worked out regularly to stay in shape.

"Jackpot!" Blitz gloated under his breath, slinking away from the others before they could see him leave.

"Excuse me!" Jin called out the fishermen, catching their attention. The men took one look at the pirates, then at their Jolly Roger flag flying brazenly in the wind. Their faces scrunched up with resentment and turned away from the five. Feeling rejected, Jin walked right up to the group and tapped one of the men on the shoulder. "Sorry to bother you, but we're looking for a doctor…"

"We ain't helping the likes of you, pirate." The man barked. The other men grumbled in agreement and they all walked off with a huff. The crew just stood there, finally realizing how difficult this search may be.

"Well shoot." Grumbled Chris as she slouched over. "These people are very helpful."

"Maybe we should go check out another town," suggested Zugai, scratching the back of his head, "and take down our flag, so they won't know we're pirates. What do you think Blitz?" Turning his head to face Blitz, Zugai saw that his one-eyed captain was no longer at his side. "Blitz?" Scanning the docks, Zugai soon spotted Blitz several feet away, talking to a girl near an elevator.

"We're trying to find him a doctor, and he's flirting?" grumbled Gonzo, as he too saw this sight. With a resigning group sigh, the remaining pirates hurried over to collect their captain.

"Faith, huh? That's a pretty name." Blitz said to the girl, who appeared to be a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "And what is a pretty young lady with such a pretty name doing in this kind of neighborhood?" Before the girl, Faith, could answer Blitz suddenly felt a hard yank on his ear, nearly pulling him off his feet.

"Could you try and stay focused here?!" shouted a slightly miffed Chris, who continue to yank on Blitz ear, ignoring his yelps of pain.

"Chris, you don't need to be so violent." Said Jin, sweatdropping at his nakama's antics. Turning to the girl, he said, "Sorry about him. Was he troubling you much, Miss…?"

"Faith, Faith Williams," Faith said, bowing respectfully. "You must be Mr. Blitz's friends." The pirates were amazed by her politeness, given their previous encounter with the townsfolk and Blitz's failed attempts to hit on her.

"Yes we are." Zugai replied, bowing as well. "I'm Zugai, and this is Chris, Jin, and Gonzo." The others followed suit, though Blitz needed a little prompting from Chris. As they bowed, Faith took the time to look at the bandages Blitz and Gonzo wore and became a little curious.

"Um, excuse me if I'm intruding, but those seem to be some serious wounds you two have." Faith said, scratching the back of her leg with her opposite foot nervously. At the words 'serious wounds', Blitz's face shone as he stepped forward once again, eager to impress the young lass.

"Indeed they are, Faith. You see, Gonzo here was getting his assed kicked by this huge gang of thugs, and being the Good Samaritan that I am, I couldn't stand by and…"

"THAT'S A LOAD OF BULL!!" bellowed Gonzo, karate-chopping Blitz on top of his head. The force knocked Blitz off his feet and crash face first into the ground.

"Is that so?" Faith asked rhetorically, a drop of sweat running down her face. Suddenly, her face lit up, as if an idea had come to her. "Um, I know of a doctor that can look at that for you, if you want." The Battle Master Pirates looked at her in disbelief. Chris, Jin, Zugai and Gonzo were happy to hear the news, but Blitz seemed to be slightly distraught.

"Really, can you take us there?" Asked Chris cheerfully, grabbing Blitz by the collar as he tried to sneak away.

"Sure, just follow me." Faith walked over to the nearby elevator and pressed a button next to the open shaft. "We need to get to Tier 3 to get to the clinic, but thankfully it's not a long walk thanks to the elevators." A moment later the elevator landed on their tier and the doors to the elevator car opened, allowing the six to enter. When everyone was inside, Faith pressed another button and the elevator slowly started to go up the tier wall.

"After we reach Tier 2, we jut need to jog across the street to the next elevator." Faith explained as the traveled up the wall. "Then we take that one up to Tier 3 and down the street is the clinic. Simple as that, given the easy layout of the town."

"Well if it's that simple," Blitz said, leaning against the wall next to Faith, "then the others can go themselves. How 'bout you and I take a trip to one of the local food joints? I'll pay."

"Nope, you're coming, too." Chris corrected him, giving Blitz a good twist on the ear for good measure.

"This is a well built contraption." Zugai noted, rapping on the elevator wall with a knuckle. "I haven't seen anything like this before."

"Well, normally this kind of thing would only appear in Government buildings and Navy strongholds." Faith said. Around this time, they had reached the top of the Tier 1 wall. As they filed of the elevator, Faith continued, "But with the decline of public trust in the World Government, the officials decided to try and connect with the public more. One of those ways was making improvements to towns and villages, like helping build the elevators and improving the tier walls of Spire Island. Of course, along with the improvements came the Marine Base on the other side of the island."

"There are Marines here?" inquired Gonzo, his shoulders tensing at the thought of a confrontation the pirates' condition.

"Yup." Responded Faith as they entered the second elevator. "But as long as you're quick and don't cause any trouble, you should be in and out before they start coming for you."

"That's what we were planning." Blitz said, leaning up against the elevator wall, this time opposite Faith. "But about these clinic you're taking us to, are the doctors there any good?" At this question, Faith visibly got nervous and started to fidget.

"Er, well to be honest, there's only one doctor working at the clinic I'm taking you too." Faith said timidly, fiddling with her fingers. "And this doctor doesn't get many patients very often. B-but!" she added, quite fiercely, "This doctor is closer than any of the others and will work for a lower price!" If her earlier statement of the doctor put any doubts in the minds of Blitz and the others, her final statement put them at rest.

"Ok, fair enough, but who is he. Or she?" asked Chris. Just as she asked, the elevator doors opened, revealing Tier 3 of Spire Island.

"You'll see soon enough!" Faith said, stepping out of the elevator and trotting down the street. The pirates followed not far behind her before stopping at a small, two-storied building with a sign containing nothing more than the medical symbol of two snakes entwining a staff. Faith stopped in front of the twin glass front doors of the clinic, facing the Battle Master Pirates.

"Welcome to the Healing Spire, the first built clinic on Spire Island. Started by the late Dr. Boshi, the clinic is now run by his former assistant and successor." Faith then smiled wide and pointed at her self. "Me." Almost instantly, five jaws dropped and collided with the ground.

"You're a doctor?!" Blitz asked quite loudly, shock at this new development. When Faith nodded her head and answered 'Yes', all Blitz could say was, "Aw, monkey shit."

"I may not get many patients, as I said earlier, but I am qualified to attend to any of your medical needs." Faith said cheerfully, ushering the five inside.

"Well, maybe people don't come here because you don't look like a professional medical practitioner." Suggested Blitz, scratching the side of his head. Faith titled her head in confusion.

"Oh and how could I rectify that?" She asked, hope of improving her profession evident in her voice. Grinning, Blitz continued.

"Well, you can try wearing a tight, revealing nurse's uniform with a short skirt and a pair of stockings with a garter belt. Maybe spring for some breast enlargement surgery and…"

"NO!" before Blitz could finish, Faith punched him hard in the face, sending half way across the empty street. As a large vein became to pulse visible on her forehead and fist, large sweatdrops appeared on the face of Blitz's crew.

"Who knew someone so nice could be so scary?" asked Zugai the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.

"Hey, the asshole deserved it." Chris replied, waving her hand in front of her face. After taking in a few deep breaths, Faith turned to the other four pirates and bowed apologetically.

"Sorry for that. I guess I lost my temper, that doesn't usually happen…" Faith said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, ignoring the grumbling 'Crazy Psycho Bitch' from a battered Blitz. But none of the four showed anger, only sympathy.

"Don't mention it." Jin said, watching as Blizt tried to crawl away. "Though it seems like you're about to lose a patient." In a blink of an eye, a dog collar latched itself around Blitz's neck and a chain connected to the collar yanked him back to the front of the clinic. The chain was held by none other than Faith her self.

"I said I could take a look at those wounds, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." Faith said determinedly. Grabbing Gonzo by the wrist, Faith started to pull him and drag the still collared Blitz into the clinic. Chris, Jin and Zugai laughed at the sight uneasily.

"Ok, you guy get patched up, we'll be checking out the town." Chris said, as she, Jin and Zugai turned to leave. The barely got two feet away before each felt a dog collar latch onto their neck, and subsequently got yanked back on the connected chain by Faith.

"Wrong. Since you guys are here, I may as well give you all a routine check up." Faith said, dragging the three into the clinic with Gonzo and Blitz.

"Well, at least she's dedicated and thorough." Commented Jin, chuckling a little as the other two tried to lessen the pressure on their throats.

"I just want to know why she has so many dog collars." Zugai wondered aloud. Chris shivered, while Jin giggled at their own different ideas of why.

* * *

Elsewhere, in a large, office like room, a man with huge gold armor sat at a desk cluttered with papers, constructing something with his hands.

"It's finished." The man said at last, hunching over whatever it was that he held in his hands. "It's perfect, the grandest of them all. They said it couldn't be done, they said it was impossible. But showed them, I showed them all! Within these walls I have created the perfect…….SAMMICH!!!" The man suddenly thrust the object into the air; a BLT the size of a man's head, the light from the ceiling lights shining behind it gave it a holy and majestic appearance. The man then brought the BLT up to his mouth, ready to take his first bite when…

*Knock, knock, knock* The man stopped, grumbling about stupid interruptions and terrible timing. "Come in." The man signed, setting the sandwich on top of a stack of papers. From the door stepped in a young Marine. Though he was wearing a standard Marine uniform, he was not wearing the issued cap, showing jet black hair with bangs covering the entire lefts side of his face, down to his chin. On his right ear were four small, silver hoop earrings, and another piercing on the brow over his black eyes. His right hand seemed to be artificial, looking more mechanical than natural.

"Oh, it's you, Ensign Cole Cullen." The armored man said, turning his chair around to face the Marine.

"Captain Kishikiyoi," Ensign Cullen began, nodding his head in respect, "we have received reports of pirates sighted in the south end of the Tier 1, docking in the harbor. Witnesses say that they were searching for a doctor."

"Oh well, that's nice." The man Kishikiyoi said, leaning back on his chair. "If they pay nicely, that could bring in some revenue for this town, do it some good."

"That's beside the point, Captain." Cullen said, slightly agitated. "As Marines, it is our duty to apprehend all who stand in the way of Justice, regardless of whither they are _currently_ causing trouble or not. Now, if they were looking for a doctor, that means that they are wounded or sick, meaning if we attack them now they'll be easy to arrest." Kishikiyoi scratched his scrubby beard, as if in deep thought.

"Gee, I don't know." Kishikiyoi said, rocking back and forth. "That seems kind of lowbrow. Can't we just let them do their business and leave. If we arrest them, think of all that paperwork that'll have to be done. And you know how I feel about paperwork."

"Captain, we can't protect the people of Spire Island with an attitude like that!" Cullen shouted, failing his arms our in front of him. "We need to take the initiative, launch that preemptive strike before these lowlife scum have a chance to hurt anyone! Do you not understand the meaning of Justice?!"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point." Kishikiyoi said resignedly, leaning forward on his chair as if to get up. "We'll go arrest the pirates…"

"A wise choice, sir…"

"After I finish my sammich." Kishikiyoi quickly spun his chair around and bite into his sandwich, chewing loudly. "And I plan on enjoying it!" he added with his mouth full of BLT. Cullen slumped over, wondering what he did to deserve this assignment.

"Very well, sir." Cullen said, turning to leave the room. As he closed the door behind him, a sinister grin crept onto Cullen's face. "Just know that, if you get soft during the arrest, this may get a little…Wicked."

* * *

End Chapter

AN: ARGH! I tried to get this up days ago but busy schedule and procrastination prevented me. So I apologize. Never before have I spent so much time describing an island or town. Was it too much?

Also, Faith Williams is the creation of **Wolffox17**, and no the dog collars were not part of the initial design, it was my own little twist on the character. Captain Kishikiyoi is the creation of **YolkaEd**. Cullen is my own.

Signed—Nezumimaru


	21. Noble and Wicked

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Noble and Wicked!

* * *

Zugai sat on the edge of a bed within a small medical room, on the second floor of the clinic. Faith was kneeling not far away, rummaging through a medium sized medical bag. Has he waited, Zugai kicked his legs slightly in boredom, a bit uncomfortable with the silence.

"Hey, Faith?" Zugai asked, breaking the silence at last. When Faith stopped to look at him, Zugai continued, "I'm just a bit curious, but why did you start with Chris, Jin and me? Gonzo and Blitz seemed to have it worse off."

"Well, I did try to start with Blitz," Faith explained, turning back to her medical bag, "but he was being unruly so I gave him…a small sedative. I managed to treat the infection—which wasn't all that threatening—and clean his wounds along with that of Gonzo, I figured I'd do that check up on the rest of you while I waited for Blitz to wake up." Zugai blinked a few times as he stared at Faith, thoughts clicking together in his mind.

"I thought your fist looked a little red when you came down for Chris…" he said aloud, gaining a strained laugh from Faith. Finally finding what she was looking for, Faith stood up with a reflex hammer in her hand and walked over to Zugai.

"Ok, what I'm going to do is tap your knee with this hammer," Faith said, standing off to Zugai's right and holding the hammer horizontally near his knee, "then the nerves I hit will cause you to involuntarily kick your leg out, understand?" Zugai nodded, and Faith lightly struck his knee. Oddly, there was no reaction. Faith tapped the hammer three more time, each slightly harder than the last. Huffing, Faith walked back over to her bag and brought it over to the bed, rummaging through it yet again.

"Uh, I think it's not working because of my Devil Fruit power, like a subconscious reaction or something…" Zugai tried to explain, but his words fell onto deaf ears as Faith found what she was looking for: a ball-peen hammer. Before Zuagi could protest, Faith struck his knee with the metal hammer, causing his leg to kick out violently. "YIEE!" Zugai squealed, mostly in surprise than pain, though Faith still became worried.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" She asked with genuine concern. Wincing, Zugai shook his head and smiled weakly.

"No, not really," he said, rubbing his knee to cease the lighting jolts that remained, "it's just that it was…unexpected…" the two chuckled nervously, tension becoming uneasy. Faith picked up a clipboard with some papers on it and wrote something down.

"Reflexes are good," Faith muttered aloud as she wrote, "Though threshold is much larger than normal. You said it may be due to your Devil Fruit?" She asked.

"Yeah, the Hone Hone No Mi." Zugai answered, nodding his head. "It allows me to control bone density." Faith nodded in response, continuing to write on the clipboard.

"Ok, on last thing before I'm finished," Faith said, pointing her pen at the scar showing through the holes of Zugai's tattered hoodie, "How did you get that scar?" Zugai looked down at the scar and grinned sheepishly, a small blush of embarrassment showing as he scratched the back of his head.

"I was trying to build a cannon out of bone, you see," he began, hopping off the bed, "Just like how I built my ship and my axe. But I clearly know more about melee weapons and ship than I do about firearms." Faith tilted her head in confusion. Sighing, Zugai decided to elaborate. "It went boom—in the wrong way."

"Ah." Faith muttered, writing on the clipboard again. "Well, that should be it then. I'm going to check in on Blitz, so you can go wait with the others down in the lobby. There's a jar on the table next to the door with suckers in it if you want any."

"Thanks." Said Zugai, grabbing a sucker on his way out the door. As he turned towards the stairs, he heard Faith follow his out and close the door, but turn the other way down the hall. Unwrapping the plastic cover, Zugai popped the sucker in his mouth as he walked down the stairs to the lobby. As he stepped onto the final step of the stairs, he saw Gonzo, Jin and Chris waiting on a bench. Gonzo and Jin were each enjoying a red sucker, much like Zugai, but Chris however had a very large rainbow-colored lollipop, the size of her head in fact. Chris was grinning like a madwoman as she savored every lick she took.

"Hey! How come you got a lollipop while all we got were suckers!?" questioned Zugai, looking put off as his gaze switch between his now pathetic sucker to Chris's majestic lollipop. Chris just grinned at him, not stopping from her licking of her lollipop.

"Because Faith likes me." Chris said smugly, waggling her eyebrows and knowing full well how the others envied her. "And she felt sorry for me having to put up with all you guys."

"You make it sound like living with us is a bad thing." Jin remarked, his sucker hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

"At least Faith was nice enough to help us out." Gonzo stated, twirling his sucker between two fingers. "And she knows what she's doing, unlike _some_ people when it comes to first aid." He shot a look over at Chris, who glared back at him.

"Well excuse me for not having learned how to apply bandages!" Chris stung back, taking her attention away from her treat momentarily. "Of all the things Grandma _could_ have taught me but didn't…" she muttered as she bit down in the top most edge of the lollipop, but still could not break a piece off. Zugai grunted something incoherent as he leaned up against the front desk of the lobby, nibbling on his sucker.

"So the only reason you got a lollipop was because Faith feels sorry for you about being the only girl—albeit a tomboyish one—on a pirate crew?" Zugai asked, receiving a nod from Chris, who ignored the 'tomboyish' remark.

"Well, to be honest, it was also because of how I got this huge scar on my back." Chris said, scratching her back with her thumb. "Trying to get accepted by my peers, I stole what is now my Crescent Dagger from a pirate passing through town. He wasn't all too pleased, and attacked me. I barely got away with my life." The other three whistled in awe, impressed with the first mate's guts.

"That's more impressive than having a cannon blow up in your face." Said Zugai. Jin and Chris looked at him in confusion, while Gonzo had his head up in thought.

"Speaking of scars," he said, "I wonder how Blitz got that one on his jaw. Or how he lost his eye." The other looked at him, eyes filled with equal curiosity.

"He hasn't really talked about those, has he?" said Jin, rubbing his chin. "We might have to ask him once Faith is done with him."

* * *

On a bed, in a different room that Zugai was in, Blitz slowly opened his eyes, wincing in pain. Gingerly he touched his right temple, where a fist-shaped welt lay throbbing like there's no tomorrow.

_'That chick had better be thankful I'm not eligible to sue her for malpractice."_ Blitz thought as he slowly sat himself up. He was still clothed, but his chest armor and shoulder guards were removed and placed in front of a cabinet with his guns. Looking over his shoulder, Blitz saw that there was a large window overlooking the harbor where the Howling Moon was docked. As he stared at the soothing and hypnotic waves of the sea, a door could be heard opening, revealing Faith Williams carrying her medical bag.

"Oh good, you're awake." Faith said, turning Blitz's attention away from the window. "Sorry if I hit you too hard, is there much throbbing and does it hurt?"

"A little bit." Blitz answered, rubbing his sore spot. "Now, if you had gotten an outfit like the one I described earlier, I might have been too distracted to notice the pain and…" Suddenly, Faith whipped out her ball-peen hammer and struck Blitz just below his left knee. "YOOOOWWW!" Blitz shrieked, kicking out his leg with even more force than Zugai had earlier.

"Excellent reflexes." Faith mentioned, writing on her clipboard. Placing the hammer back into her back she drew out a tongue depressor. Holding it in front of her and facing Blitz, Faith said, "Now, open your mouth and stick out your tongue."

"PPPPBBBBTHHHHH!!!" Rather than open his mouth _then_ stuck out his tongue, Blitz stuck out tongue and gave Faith a childish raspberry. In one swift motion, Faith jabbed the tongue depressor in between Blitz's upper lip and tongue, catching him off guard, and forced his mouth open.

"Oral cavity seems to look good." Faith noted, looking into Blitz's mouth. As she took the depressor off Blitz's tongue, he gave her a smirk.

"So what next, you want me to 'turn and cough'?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. All he got in response was a tongue depressor shoved into his mouth and down his throat, causing him to gag.

"Gag reflex is good." Faith said, writing down on her clipboard again as Blitz gagged and coughed until the depressor flew out of his mouth and across the room. Reaching into her bag Faith took out a stethoscope and placed the buds into her ears. "Ok, I'm going to examine your heart rate, so I'm going to need you to take your shirt off." In a blink, Blitz was sitting on the edge of the bed minus his shirt, which was rumpled on the floor next to him. Faith blushed at both the speed of Blitz's cooperation, and the fact that Blitz had a very well toned body. She quickly shook her head to clear it, trying to keep it professional. Blitz seemed to notice this and began to grin in triumph.

"Is that the only thing you'd like me to take off?" Blitz asked suggestingly, smirking all the while. Faith gave him a deadpan look, not amused with his antics.

"If you're referring to your pants, just know that if you take them off, I'll be giving you a prostate exam, **with my foot**." Faith said, not bothering to hide the threatening undertone in her voice. Blitz paled considerably, clenching his jaw to keep his mouth shut. "Good, now sit still." Faith placed the stethoscope on Blitz's chest, right over his sternum. After a few moments, Faith nodded her head and began to write on her clipboard again. Blitz took this opportunity to speak again.

"You know, I could check your heart rate too, if you want…" He started to say, but was soon cut off by a slightly agitated Faith.

"Mr. Blitz—and I am only calling you that because I don't know your last name—I am trying to keep this professional, and I do not appreciate your vulgar comments and lame pick up lines! So could you please stop!?" She shouted. From Blitz's perspective, it looked like her eyes went completely red in frustration, and her teeth went sharp and jagged.

"Well how could I not say anything?" Blitz asked crossing his arms and grinned. "With a pretty face like yours, I'm surprised there isn't a line of guys out there faking sick just to see you." At these words, Faith couldn't help but go a little red in the face. Out of all the comments Blitz has said thus far, this was the kindest, and by no means lewd. Once again she shook her head to clear it.

"J-just turn around so I can check your breathing." Faith stammered, sitting on the bed to Blitz's right. For the first time that day, Blitz hesitated, but slowly turned so his back faced Faith. Faith gasped at what she saw.

Riddled across Blitz's back was a multitude of long scars, criss-crossing all over in varying lengths. At the top, where his neck and shoulders met, was a scar wider than the others, and where the scars on his back were several years old, this scar seemed to have happened within the last year or so. Cautiously tracing the longer scars, Faith couldn't help but feel some sympathy.

_'These scars look like they've been caused by some sort of whip.'_ Faith thought as she examined them. _'Was he…flogged as a child, as some sort of punishment?'_ She then looked up at the most recent scar, once again tracing it with her finger. _'And this one…this one doesn_'_t look like a whip mark, more like he had a tattoo there that was removed……"_

"Are you going to finish the check up or what?" Blitz asked coldly, startling Faith out of her thoughts. With a short hum, Faith placed the end of her stethoscope on the left side of Blitz back.

"Ok, breath in deep once for me." Inhale. "And out." Exhale. Shifting the stethoscope to the right side of his back, Faith repeated the process, and again over his lower back. Content with her findings, Faith removed the stethoscope and wrote on her clipboard.

"Alright, now all I need is to do is a quick optic check and then we'll…" Faith began to say before a clamor outside the window drew her attention. Crawling over the bed to the window, Faith gasped at what she saw. "No, not them. They don't respond so quickly!" In a flash Faith sped out the room, leaving her medical bag behind. Curious, Blitz leaned over to peer out the window to the street below. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

Surround the enterance to the Healing Spire clinic was an entire platoon of Marines, each armed for trouble. Standing in front of the Marines was a very large man wearing huge golden plate armor. The man looked to be in his early 40's, sporting a scrubby brown beard that matched his unkempt hair. A gigantic fail rest on his back, and a jaguar shaped helmet held under his arm. The man motioned for his men to stand their ground, yet not in a firing position. Whatever this man was planning, it did not involve open firing on the clinic.

* * *

In the clinic lobby, the others had also noticed the Marines, and Chris and Jin had flipped the bench they were sitting on over to make a barricade while Zugai and Gonzo ducked behind the lobby desk.

"Guess we weren't in and out fast enough." Said Gonzo, peering over the top of the desk.

"There's a lot of them out there," Jin observed, scanning the Marine mob, "Do you think they view us as a major threat or something?"

"They'd better!" Chris said, poking her head over the bench, shaking her fist—still holding that lollipop—at the Marines. "You pigs aren't taking us alive! You hear me?! Do your worst, Marine-dirtbags!" Almost as soon as she finished her sentence, a loud *BANG* rang out, and a bullet flew past Chris's head, shattering her lollipop. "My…lollipop…" Chris lamented, turning her head to see the damage. Not a bit of candy was left on the stick, enraging Chris to no end. "WHO EVER SHOT THAT IS DEAD!!! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO FINISH IT!" She bellowed, almost jumping over the bench to charge the Marines, only to be held back and dragged back down by Jin.

"Don't do Chris! It's not worth it!" He shouted, using all his strength to hold Chris down. Gonzo and Zugai shook their heads at the first mate's antics, before glancing over the desk to see if that shot signified an attack. What they saw was the armored man berating one of the Marines.

"Dammit Rookie! I told you to hold your fire!" The man shouted, slapping the top of the Marine's head several times to get his point across.

"S-sorry, Captian Kishikiyoi." The poor ensign said, "I just got a little trigger happy. This'll be my first pirate bust since joining the Marines."

"Well this will be your last too, if you ever disobey an order like that again!" Kishikiyoi shouted back, before letting out a heavy sigh. Turning to face the clinic again, Kishikiyoi saw that there were at least four pirates in the lobby. If there were any more, they were on the top floor, as the ship has already been declared vacant. If so, then this was not a very large crew, despite the rather large size of the ship they sailed in on. Looks like Cullen was over exaggerating…again.

"Kishikiyoi!" From within the clinic ran out Faith, ignoring the warnings and protests from the pirates, stopping only when she got half way between the clinic and Kishikiyoi.

"Oh, hey Miss Williams." Kishikiyoi said cheerfully, smiling broadly at the young doctor. "How are you today? Everything going swell here at the clinic?" Faith glared at the Marine Captain, not at all happy with his presence.

"Fine until you showed up. What's the deal, you never respond this quickly before." Faith said, placing her hands on her hips. Several Marines eyed her, surprised that anyone could stand in front of the large man with out feeling slightly intimidated, and she was talking to him like it was a day in the market!

"Yeah, you see, Ensign Cullen over there," Kishikiyoi said, jabbing a thumb over his right shoulder at Cullen, who stood not far behind the captain, "insisted that we need to make a better effort to protect the town, even if these pirates haven't done anything yet. A sort of stopping them before they can get even more dangerous deal, if you know what I mean."

"Even still," Faith said, "these pirates are my patients, and I have yet to medically clear them. So until I do, you'll just have to wait on your arrest."

"Aw, don't be like that!" Kishikiyoi whined, scratching the back of his head. "It'd be best if I can take them in now. If they're all healed and rested up, it'll be harder to arrest them peacefully. Any injury to Marine or arrestee invokes a lot of paperwork, paperwork I have to deal with!"

"Bullshit." Whispered one Marine in the front to another. "He never does any paperwork."

"Yeah, he always makes us do them." The other Marine whispered back. However, their whispering did not go unnoticed by Kishikiyoi, as they hoped.

"Marines!" Kishikiyoi shouted, not bother turning around. "Did I give you permission to bitch?" Although he did not face them, the two Marines saluted, stammering out a 'No sir!' "That's what I thought, so shut it!" Rubbing his chin in thought, Kishikiyoi thought of a way to settle this without too much work on his part. "Ok, how's this, you continue your job as a doctor, and I have some men stationed around the clinic to bring them in when you're done and to make sure they don't run away? I mean, there's only what, four pirates in there?"

"Five!" Someone shouted, whose voice Kizhikiyoi did not recognize. He scanned the streets for the speaker for about a minute, until finally looking up at the second story window of the clinic. Leaning out of the window was none other than Blitz, who was quickly getting his shirt back on.

"Oh look, there's another one." Kishikiyoi said, pointing up at Blitz. "They seem to be popping up everywhere today, huh?" Looking back at Faith, Kishikiyoi asked, "Well, do you think that my idea is ok?" Thinking a bit, Faith slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"I see that as a suitable compromise." Faith said. Behind her, the Battle Master pirates stood shocked.

"She's selling us out!" cried Zugai, not believing what he had witnessed. "But she was so nice to us!" Outside the clinic, another person could not believe what had transpired.

_'Dammit! This is just impeding on our job!' _though Cullen, gritting his teeth in frustration, _'Every second we delay in another second those pirates have to make an escape. The only way to ensure the capture of these pirates, and my promotion, is to capture them right away!'_ Suddenly, a sinister grin crept onto Cullen's face as eh thought, _'And if the Noble Knight won't make an arrest, then maybe the __**Wicked **__Knight will!' _Reaching behind him, Cullen fingered a small black box strapped to his lower back. On this box was a small button, which Cullen pressed without hesitation. As soon as Cullen pressed that mysterious button, Kishikiyoi's eyes widened in pain.

"GRAAAHH!!" He grunted loudly in pain, gripping the sides of his head and dropping his helmet. Faith and the Marines—save Cullen—watched in horror as Kishikiyoi continued to cry out in pain. Faith also seemed to wincing, as if a sharp sound was piercing her ears. The pirates, however, were only confused.

"What's going on?!" Blitz shouted down to Faith, who had taken a few steps away from the Marine Captain.

"T-this has happened before!" Faith shouted back, trying to ignore the ringing in her ears. "When ever this happens, Kishikiyoi changes completely from a nicer man to that of a sadist! He turns from the 'Noble Knight' to the 'Wicked Knight'!" As Faith spoke these words, Kishikiyoi stopped thrashing around, his head hung so his face was no longer visible. Slowly, he scooped up his fallen helmet, placing it on his head before he stood up completely, his armor shifting from a golden color to pitch black. The helmet hid his face, but from the eyeholes, a red glow emitted.

"I have a new idea." Kishikiyoi said, he voice much darker and unholy. "How about we just go in there, take those pirates by force and burn this clinic down for harboring criminals?!" With one swift move, Kishikiyoi motioned his men to move forward. "Marines! Attack!"

"W-wait a moment, Captain!" spoke up the Rookie Marine. As Kishikiyoi turned to face him, the smaller man felt his knee beginning to buckle, but tried to stay standing up. "I understand capturing the pirates, but burning down the clinic? That just seems kind of…wrong. Can't we just put a fine on Miss Williams and…" Suddenly, the fail Kishikiyoi kept on his back came down on the hapless Marine, smashing him into the ground with blood splattering everywhere. As Kishikiyoi picked up the spiked ball of the fail, one could see that the Marine was alive, but just barely. Blood flowed out of the corners of his mouth and his nose, and out of cut on his torso from the fail.

"Didn't I tell you not to disobey my orders before?!" barked the Wicked Knight, motioning his attack order again to the rest of the Marines. Hesitantly, a group of Marines gulped and began to move forward to take the clinic, fearing for their safety should they speak up like the rookie.

"Rifle: Cryo Shot!" Just as the small group took their first steps, the ground beneath them turned into a sheet of iced, causing them to lose their footing and slip onto their backsides. Faith, Cullen, Kishikiyoi and the rest of the Marines looked up to see Blitz sitting on the window sill, rifle in hand.

"Betcha didn't see that coming did you 'Sir Knight'?" Blitz mocked, sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth and grinning defiantly. Kishikiyoi growled in anger at the impudence on the young pirate. Blizt then gave a short whistle, calling out, "Hey fellas, how about we save these Marines the trouble of coming in after us, what do you say?"

From within the clinic stepped out the four remaining pirates, Zugai Gonzo Chris and Jin all in a row. Zugai rested Honehakaisha in his shoulders as Gonzo rolled hi neck and cracked his knuckles. Chris tossed her Double Sided Dagger effortlessly from one hand to the other while Jin warmed himself up by hopping from foot to foot and shaking his arms.

"You'd better get inside, Faith." Chris said, motioning with her head to the clinic. "This may get a bit dicey." Faith tensed her muscles, and walked closer to the clinic but did not go inside.

"I'm not going to let them destroy Dr. Boshi's clinic." She said with fierce determination. "I'd rather not fight, but I will if I need to. And as my patients, I rather you not to get yourselves any more injured than when you first came here." Chris and the others nodded understandingly, and readied for battle. Kishikiyoi, seeing this little display of insolence, could not help but give an evil laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHA! You think you can beat me and my subordinates?" He asked, swinging his fail around in a display of power. "None who dared face the Wicked Knight came out of the battle the same, sometimes without their life! You all have signed your death warrant!"

"We'll see about that." Said Blitz, aiming _Matilda_ as he rested against the side of the window.

* * *

End Chapter.

AN—W00T!! Got this one done at last! Sorry of the delay but being this is the last quarter of school before summer, and my last year in high school, things have been a bit hectic. So my weekly updates may shift to every other week until school ends. We'll see.

I hope I did Kishikiyoi's personality to YolkEd's liking, but I actually liked how he's turning out so far. And yes, Chris got a big lollipop, to the jealously of the guys (mostly Zugai). Next week, Pirates Chris Zugai Gonzo and Jin vs Marine Horde with some long range support from Blitz. Stay tuned!

Signed—Nezumimaru


	22. Noble and Wicked 2

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Noble and Wicked Part 2

Kishikiyoi stood, arms folded over his armored chest, watching the fighting before him. He had ordered his men to attack first, to wear down the pirates for him. After all these men were just underlings, and to the Wicked Knight underlings were nothing more than cannon fodder. The only one not fighting other than himself was Cole Cullen, who stood by his side with a sinister grin on his face. The grin could have only been simply for the bloodshed being committed, as the Marines were not on the winning side.

"Bone Hewer!" Zugai swung Honehakaisha at a group of Marines, causing several of them to go flying down the street away from the clinic. Several more Marines took their place, cutlasses drawn, and started to charge at Zugai.

"Rifle: Inferno Shot!" A streak of red shot into the Marines, causing a large explosion that launched Marines in every direction. Zugai look up to where Blitz was sitting at the clinic window and gave him a two finger salute for the assistance, before going back to hacking away at some more opponents. Blitz nodded back and began to scan the battle field to see if the rest of his nakama need help as well. As far as he could see, they were holding their own quite well.

Chris had just used the pronged end of the Double-Sided Dagger to catch an oncoming sword slash, knocking it out of the way as she spun around. Doing a complete 360 spin, Chris cut the arm the Marine that tried to attack her, causing him to cry out in pain. With one swift kick Chris knocked the man away from her and giving her a push to the next target. She drew her Crescent Dagger from her hat, and without warning, performed a handstand and kicked off her shoes, hurling them high into the air. This caused a distraction among the Marines, giving Chris the opportunity to take the Deer Horn Knives out of her vest, grasping them in-between her bare toes.

"Yontoryu Rampage!" With blades in hand and foot, Chris cartwheeled, spun, and bounced off of any Marine that got within range, slashing and dicing all the while. Kicking off of Marines with her feet, pushing off shoulders with her hand, sending strike after strike with each motion she took, becoming a flying human buzzsaw, all with out touching the ground. After slashing the chest of one last Marine, Chris flip into the air, grabbing the Deer Horn Knives from her feet and placing them back into her vest. As she neared the end of her flip, Chris Shot out her legs, kicking her feet back into her shoes that now had almost reached the ground, and landed on her feet with bloodied Marines all around her.

"How about that, eh?" Chris said, grinning boastfully at Gonzo, the closest to her. "Pretty cool, right?" Gonzo didn't answer, as six Marine started to come straight towards him. With a look of nonchalant, lowered his head, waiting for the Marines to get close enough and…

"50 Gallons: Swiss Cheese!" A flurry of baseball size orbs of water shot out of a blow hole at the top of Gonzo's head, smashing into the oncoming Marines and sending them over the edge of the Tier and onto to the rooftops of Tier 2. Standing straight up again, Gonzo turned to Chris with the smug grin that she had on before.

"Show off." Chris said, pretending not to be impressed by the crew's cook. Gonzo chuckled as he shook his head at Chris's behavior. Behind him, one of the Marines that Chris had attack was slowly getting back to his feet, lifting up his sword for a sneak attack on Gonzo.

"Die, pirate!" The Marine shouted, bringing his sword down on Gonzo. Just as he was about to swing, a shot rang out and the Marine suddenly felt his muscles begin to cramp up, like he had been shocked by a large amount of electricity. Gonzo, at this point, realized that a Marine was behind him and gave the Marine a good roundhouse kick to chest, knocking him flat on his back.

"Electro Shot." Whispered Blitz, as he watched Gonzo kick the Marine he just shot. Rotating through the rounds his had left in his rifle, Blitz looked over at where Jin was. He was thinking of helping Jin, he seemed to have everything under control.

"Mizu Mizu No Pistol!" Jin shouted, launching a torrent of water at a pair of Marines. Another Marine, wielding a rifle, took a shot at Jin and blasted a hole in his head. This however did not even phased Jin, who just looked over at the man as the hole refilled. The Marine stood shock at what he was, leaving him open for a water powered kick from Jin. "Come on, is that the best you've got?" Jin taunted, rolling his head on his neck.

"This guy's a monster!" Shouted a Marine, who was on the ground from a previous attack.

"He's gotta have some sort of Devil Fruit!" said another before waving to a pair nearby. "Go get a Seastone net, and quickly!" The two nodded and ran off back to the base. The Marine watched them leave before turning his attention back to Jin, who was currently hosing down a small group of Marines.

"Need some help over there, Zugai?" Jin called over to the blacksmith, as he blasted another Marine with a watery punch.

"Naw, I got things under control over here!" Zugai called back, blocking a sword attack and belting the wielder in the face with a clenched fist. Soon another Marine tried to get an attack in, but Zugai was ready for it. With a mighty swing of Honehakaisha, Zugai sent the hapless Marine crashing into a fancy pet shop next to the clinic. With a worried look on his face, Zugai hustled over to the shop checking the damage.

"Oh, good." He said, resting his axe on his shoulder. "None of the animals were hurt." Zugai then turned around to rejoin the fight, leaving the battered Marine in a pile of rubble, while a small cute puppy urinated on his uniform.

Watch the battle from the clinic doors, Faith couldn't help but be amazed by the pirates.

_'They're so strong.'_ She thought, as Gonzo delivered a powerful blow to a Marine's skull, as another Marine fell to another one of Blitz's well placed shots. _'And not only can they hold their own, but they work so fluently with each other.'_ At this time Zugai and Chris launched their Nakama Launcher/Buzzsaw Knives combo on a group of four Marines, plowing a path for Jin's Mizu Mizu No Jet into a larger group. _'They fight with everything they have, for a situation they could have just ran from. Why?' _Hanging her head and looking at her feet, Faith started to wring her wrists. _'Why are they putting their lives on the line, for just a simple clinic? Aren't they afraid of dying?'_

"Don't you pirates ever give up?" shouted a random Marine, bringing Faith's attention back to the fight.

"First off," replied Chris, kicking the Marine in the face, "you should really be saying that when you're on the losing side."

"Second," Zugai continued, knocking a trio of Marines off their feet, "you're threatening a person that helped us out when no one else would. We don't take to kindly to that."

"Plus this could get us out of having to paying her." finished Blitz gleefully, reloading _Matilda_ at his perch.

"Blitz!" moaned the other four pirates, glaring up at him in disapproval. "What? Am I the only one who thought of that?" Blitz shouted back down to them.

"They're distracted! Get 'em!" With the Battle Master pirates' back turned to them, the remaining Marines that could still stand ran at them, sword draw and waving around. All four barely had time to block attacks directed at them, setting them into a deadlock of blocking. Blitz tried to pick off the Marines on the fringe of the groups, but for the most part couldn't go for the ones next to his crew with out risk of hitting them.

"So much for our advantage!" Jin muttered, blasting back a Marine with a jet of water. Suddenly, a shadow loomed over Jin, and as he looked up at the perpetrating object, it fell upon and engulfed him.

"Finally! The Seastone Net!" shouted a Marine, pumping a fist victoriously into the air. As Jin struggled to free himself from the confines of the net, the same Marine walked over to him and gave Jin a swift kick in the gut. "Not so tough now are you? The Seastone in that net nullifies any Devil Fruit power, making monsters like you as weak as…" Before he could finish his sentence, the Marine was hit in the face with a powerful Inferno Shot from above, taking him down for the count.

"Chris! Get Jin out of that net, ASAP!" Blitz shouted, pointing with authority at the constrained Jin. "Zugai, Gonzo, make some space for them!"

"That one is causing many a grievance." Captain Kishikiyoi said, watching as Battle Master continued to give covering fire to his comrades as the axe-wielder and the Fishman protected Crescent Dagger and the Logia-user. "He needs to be dealt with."

"On it, Captain" Cullen replied. Raising his mechanical arm towards Blitz, it began to shift and transform, turning into a cannon-like weapon. "Here's a taste of his own medicine." With a thunderous boom, Cullen's cannon-arm let loose a powerful blast of energy, rocketing towards Blitz at high velocity.

"Aw, monkey shi—" Blitz cursed, as the blast of energy collided with the widow sill he was in, resulting in a great big explosion. His crew mates look up at the burning hole in the clinic where Blitz once was in horror.

"BLITZ!" Gono shouted as he started to run into the building to help his captain.

"Gonzo! Stay where you are!" Chris shouted at him, stopping him in his tracks. "Blitz gave you an order to keep the Marines away from me until I got Jin free. And until I get Jin free, you're going to abide by that order, and have faith that Blitz is going to be ok. Am I clear!" Gonzo stared at the first mate, determination and resolve strong in her eyes. Nodding, Gonzo turned back to the few Marines that were still standing and took a fighting stance. Content, Chris returned to cutting the ropes of the net Jin was trapped in, intent on fulfilling her task.

"Not so fast, pirates!" Suddenly, a barrage of bullets sped towards the four pirates, the majority of them catching Zugai and Gonzo in the torso, but a few managed to slip through and strike Chris in the arm and a leg. Crying out in pain, the three pirates collapsed to the ground, blood pouring out of their wounds. From where he stood, Kishikiyoi had several pistols jutting out of his armor, previously hidden from view with smoke billowing from the muzzles. "Do you really think I would just stand back and let you recuperate? Stupid pirates." Kishikiyoi scoffed, the firearms retracting back into the jet black armor. "Now, to finish you off."

"Forgive me, Captain." Cullen interjected, stepping in front of the larger man. "But these pirates are no longer a threat, and thus would be a waste of your time to deal with yourself. I shall dispose of them for you." Glaring down at Cullen, Kishikiyoi nodded reluctantly, clearing wanting to give his own form of punishment to the pirates. Turning to the pirates, Cullen could help but smirk at the situation. _'All has gone well! With the Wicked Knight_ _persona out, any cruelty I commit in the name of "Justice" will surely give me recommendation for promotion!'_ Chuckling victoriously, Cullen strolled over to the weakened pirates, his mechanical arm shifting once again, this time into a flamethrower like device. Aiming at the pirates, Cullen was about to secure his amoral advancement when…

"NO!" Startled by the shouting voice, Cullen turned his head just in time to view a fist coming straight into his face, knocking him back half way between the Chris and the others and Kishikiyoi. Rubbing his sore nose with his non-mechanical hand, Cullen glared at the one responsible, none other than Faith herself! "Damn civilian, you'll pay for that!"

"Faith, what are you doing!" Zugai grunted, pain racking his body from the earlier gun shots. Luckily, none of the hits were lethal in any way, but they still hurt.

"Doing my duty as a doctor and saving your asses!" Faith responded, digging her heels into the ground. "During this whole fight, I was just hanging back and watching people get hurt. I didn't want to fight, afraid that not only was I going to get hurt, but that I was going to hurt others and break the Hippocratic Oath. But as I watched, I began to realize something: Not standing up for your self and what you care about is even worse than hurting others. And this jerk," She pointed at Cullen, who had gotten back to his feet, "destroyed part of my clinic! If I want to keep my home and livelihood safe, then to hell with the Hippocratic Oath! Cullen, you may be a Marine and I respect that you're only doing your job, but so am I in protecting my clinic and my patients, even if I have a horrible ringing sensation in my ear." Just as Faith ended her little speech, a gust of wind blew in the street, causing her curly hair flow dramatically to the side. The four pirates, as well as many of the conscious Marines, were impressed. Cullen, however, was not.

"Really, only doing your job?" Cullen asked, a grin of sadism growing from his lips. "Then I can assume that your 'job' is harboring criminals from Justice! And as an agent of Justice, it is my duty to give you the proper punishment!" With his mechanical arm, Cullen pointed it at Faith and blew a large ball of fire at her. Crouching, Faith pushed off the ground with all her might and leaped over the fireball, lunging at Cullen, knocking her shoes off in the process.

Then, while in mid-air, Faith's body began to change. Grey fur began to grow all over her body, her face elongated into a canine-like muzzle, and a tail sprouted from her backside. Her body grew to at least one and half times her normal size, becoming even bigger than Gonzo, and her feet began to look more like wolf paws and hind legs. Claws grew from her hands, outstretched and ready to shred Cullen to pieces. When her transformation was complete, the only thing that could tie her to her normal self was the long curly hair with silver streaks, and her clothing, which some how expanded to keep Faith's now larger frame from destroying it.

Now fully changed into a wolf/human hybrid, Faith slashed at Culled with her clawed hands. Cullen, though surprised, was not shocked enough to lose his composure, and rolled out of the way of Faith's attack. Faith landed on the ground and skid a few feet, turning to face Cullen who had hopped back to his feet.

"Faith Williams' Devil Fruit." A Marine said, look on in awe. "The Inu Inu No Mi: Grey Wolf Model." An older Marine looked back at the Marines that brought the Seastone Net that Jin was entangled in and said, "What are you waiting for? Throw a net on her!" The two looked at each other nervously then back at the older Marine. "Sir, we only brought one. We didn't think Miss Williams would actually help the pirates fight us."

"It doesn't matter." Cullen said, raising his mechanical arm and changing it into a blade-arm. "I don't need Seastone to fight one little girl." Charging at Faith, Cullen swung down with his blade-arm. Faith, however, managed to catch the blade between her hands, stopping it from slashing her face. In her new form, Faith was both bigger and stronger than Cullen, and easily snapped the blade in half by giving it a good twist. Aggravated but not discouraged, Cullen jump back out of Faith's reach at changed his arm into a long cylindrical gun muzzle, with holes long the sides to reduce air resistance and kickback.

"Take this!" Cullen shouted, firing a burst of bullets at Faith. Faith displayed her increase of speed by deftly jumping out of the way of the gunfire, zigzagging back and forth to avoid being hit.

"Wow, I had no idea Faith was so tough." Jin said, watching as Faith backflipped over another spray of bullets. "Even in this hybrid form she has this air of grace and control."

"She sure does give werewolves a good name." Chris added, trying to sit up to get a better view of the fight. "She seems to know how to use her Devil Fruit. She must've had it for a long time."

"Since childhood." A nearby Marine commented. When the four pirates looked at him curiously, he continued, "Miss Williams lost her parents at a young age, and has wandered the Tiers of Spire Island for a long time, accidentally eating a Devil Fruit one evening when looking for food. After it was learned she had a Devil Fruit power, a lot of people kinda shunned her, fearing that she might use that power for bad things. Kids picked on her and all that. The only person who didn't was Dr. Boshi, who ran this clinic before Miss Williams. He took her in when no one wanted her and allowed her the freedom to learn her power in a way that didn't harm anyone, as well as teaching her medicine. Those reasons are also why she's so protective of this clinic; it's the only thing she has left of Dr. Boshi after he died in a pirate raid." The four became shocked, looking back at Faith as she continued to dodge Cullen's attacks.

Faith weaved in and out of the gunfire, getting closer and closer to Cullen with each move. Finally, she was close enough to swipe at Cullen, cutting through his uniform and drawing blood.

"Bitch!" Cullen hissed, shifting his arm into a cannon. At point blank range, Faith had no time to get out of the way in time, taking the cannon fire straight into the chest. The force knocked Faith back several feet, landing on her back on the hard ground of the street. Rolling onto her side, Faith coughed up some blood, though thankfully there was no hole or threatening damage other than some burns on her torso. Pain jolting throughout her body and an even greater ringing in her ears than before, Faith tried to get back up to her feet, her mind drifting back to a time when things were simple and carefree…

"_No no no!" a man shouted at a much younger Faith, smacking her head several times in a karate chop fashion. This man wore a white lab coat and black shoes, his graying hair wild and unkempt, and sporting a pair of glasses that looked like they had spirals on the lenses. "How many times do I have to tell you, Faith? You need sodium _bi_carbonate, not sodium _mono_carbonate. How can I teach you decent medical practices, when you can't even make a homemade anti-itch cream!"_

"_I'm doing the best I can, Dr. Boshi!" Faith shouted back, rubbing her sore head. "If you'd spend less time hitting me and more time explaining, I'd might be doing a little better at remembering!" Dr. Boshi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose._

"_We're both getting a little cranky, so let's take a quick break, ok?" Boshi said, getting a small huff from Faith. The two stayed where they were, an awkward silence between them. Finally, Bosh said, "Faith, I know you had a rough time after your parents died, more so when you gain your Devil Fruit power, so I can understand why you don't really trust me all that much yet. But please try be cooperative with me at least, I'm trying to teach you some very valuable life skills here!"_

"_Oh, like learning how to make some cheap itch cream is _really _important." Faith muttered, turning her back to Boshi._

"_You say that now," Boshi said, crossing his arms, "but after you find that you walked through a bunch of poison ivy bushes, you'll be thanking me." Waiting to see a reaction from Faith and getting none, Boshi sighed and place a hand on Faith's shoulder. "Listen, Faith. I just want to make sure that you'll have a place in this world. I've seen what happens to most kids you're age when they feel like they have no where to go or no one to turn to. They often end up making bad decisions, which often brings them and other people nothing but pain, and I don't want to see that happen to you. You're too good a kid for that." Faith didn't answer, only tilting her head to stare at the ground. Continuing, Boshi said, "I want to make sure you are able to make the right decisions, to know where your values and beliefs lie. To know where to put your heart in." _

_Walking over to a table with large medical books, Boshi said, "I know where my heart lies; in helping others. Curing the sick and tending the wounded. Seeing the happy faces of patients and their families gives me a feeling that can't be explained, something that rewards me that medical fees can't. That's why," He then turns back to Faith, a warm and friendly smile on his face, "I want to learn how to cure any disease, so I can help just about anyone in need. That is my dream." Faith looked up at Dr. Boshi, eye wide in awe. Kneeling down to her level and looking Faith in the eye, Boshi said, "Lots of people laugh at me for my dream, saying that it's impossible. Others don't want me to achieve my dream, but I don't care. I'm will to fight and struggle for my dream, because that's what I believe in." Boshi grinned a big smile and patted Faith on the head. Faith just could help but start grinning as well. _

"_Ah ha! A smile!" Boshi exclaimed, jumping up and pumping a fist into the air. "Now that we're both in a better mood, how about we get back to learning medicine?" "YOSH!" Faith shouted, pumping both fists into the air._

Back in the present time, Faith wobblingly got back to her feet, clutching her chest with her arm. She spat out a glob of blood from her mouth, raising a glaring face at Cullen. Cullen raised an eyebrow, amused at the persistence the girl was showing.

"My, my, you are quite the stubborn one, aren't you?" Cullen sneered, shifting his arm back into its flamethrower mode. "It seem like you didn't get the message, did you?" Faith didn't answer him, her mind once again drift off into another memory.

"_Dr. Boshi!" Young Faith yelled, almost breaking down her mentor's door. "We need to get out of here, pirates are attacking!" A previously sleeping Boshi leapt up in a flash, quickly putting on his lab coat over his sleepwear and racing out the door, Faith close on his heels. Outside, pirates had dock in the South Harbor, breaking into the warehouses of the Tier 1. Townsfolk were hurrying to escape the pirates, retreating to the top most Tier 4 for safety. Leaving the clinic, Faith turn left to head to the elevator to Tier 4. Boshi, however, turned right._

"_Dr. Boshi! The elevator's this way!" Faith shouted to him, wondering what the hell the man was up too._

"_There may still be people on the lower Tiers!" Boshi shouted back, not stopping or slowing down. "They could be hurt, and in need of medical attention. I will not allow these people to be abandoned, not during a pirate attack!" Gritting her teeth, Faith skid to a stop and changed directions, following the stupid man that takes care of her. Rather than taking an elevator, Boshi hopped down to the rooftops closest to the edge of Tier 3, and again to Tier 1. Faith quickly turned to her full wolf form, her clothes and curly brown and silver hair the only thing identifying her from a regular grey wolf. She used this form to quickly catch up with Boshi on Tier 1, where a group of pirates had surrounded a group of townsfolk._

"_Well, looky here." One of the pirates said, placing the tip of his sword under the chin of one of the townsfolk and lifting it up, getting a good look into their fear stricken eyes. "We got us some stranglers. This'll be more fun than I thought."_

"_Stay away from them!" Startled, the pirates turned to see Dr. Boshi standing defiantly before them, and a human Faith standing next to him. "Harm one hair on their heads, and I will see that you pay for it!" Boshi shouted, drawing a pair of scalpels from his coat. Faith raised her hand up in a defensive fighting position, ready to help Boshi. Despite their intentions, they did not appear very intimidating, causing the pirate to burst out laughing._

"_Really, old man? You're going to make us pay for it?" said the lead pirate, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye. "You and what army? This little girl? HAHAHAHAHA!" As the pirates were laughing, Faith looked up at Boshi, as if to ask him something. Boshi said nothing, only giving her a nod of approval. This was all she needed._

_Hunching over, Faith started to change into her hybrid form, shocking the pirates to now end. "Lordy! That little wench is a Devil Fruit freak!" shouted a pirate in alarm, taking a step away from the wolf-girl. The leader, however, only gritted his teeth._

"_Devil Fruit freak or not, she only one little girl, back only by an old man with a pair of toothpicks! We can take them!" With a roar to bolster their courage, the pirates raised their swords and charged at the pair. Faith didn't wait for them to come to her, and sprung at pirates, bowling down the majority of them in a flurry of fang and claw. A few of them scattered away from her, only to fall victim to the quick and deadly accurate stabs and cuts of Dr. Boshi, who struck at exposed weak spots like Achilles tendons and jugular veins. With a few swift movements, the medical pair made quick work of the pirates, but victory was not as close at it seemed._

_Lying bleeding on the ground from Faith's initial attack, the pirate leader drew out a pistol, aiming it at Faith. "At least I can take out that troublesome bitch!" he muttered, squeezing the trigger. From the corner of his eye, Boshi saw the movement of the pirate leader, and the pistol in is hand. Following where it aimed, Boshi saw that the pirate was aiming straight at Faith!_

"_Faith, look out!" Boshi cried, pushing his current opponent aside and dashing over to Faith. Hearing her name, Faith stopped to look at Boshi, before noticing the gun that was being pointed at her. Upon seeing it, time seem to slow to a crawl. Faith shut her eyes tight, awaiting the pain of a gunshot wound. In the darkness, a gun shot was heard, a sound of metal piercing flesh, and the feel of warm blood splattered over Faith's face, but the pain never came._

_Slowly, Faith opened her eyes, trying to understand why she was not hurting at all, when she saw what was before her. Between her and the pirate, of the gun's path, was a body. A person, one that caused Faith's eye to widen as far as they could in shock and horror._

"_**DR. BOSHI**__!"_

End Chapter

AN—*Strikes the "Franky Pose"* CLIFFHANG-AH! Oh, I am so evil, making you wait for an entire month for a new chapter, then end up giving you a cliffhanger! As such, I apologize. Had a lot on my plate; end of school, high school graduation, parties, my birthday coming up next Monday, etc. Hectic is my life as of late.

And I hope Wolffox17 like the little flashback/history of Faith, as what was given to me was kinda vague, so most of it I pulled out of my ass. I did like writing Boshi's speech, though. Until next time!

Signed—Nezumimaru


	23. Noble and Wicked 3

AN**: I sincerely apologize for not updating all summer, but my laptop crashed with the "Blue Screen of Death" and my parents were very slow in finding a way to fix it. I had to use my dad's work computer to surf the internet, but could not work on fanfics on it. The good news is, I have a new laptop and can continue to work on Neo One Piece. Bad news is, I am now in college and by updates will not be on a set time. Anywho, let the next segment of Neo One Piece begin! Warning this fanfic is rated T for violence and harsh language. Viewer discretion advised. **

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Noble and Wicked Part 3

_Young Faith stared at the falling body of her mentor and guardian, blood oozing out of the gunshot wound in his chest as he crashed into the ground. The pirate that shot him was still prone on the ground, just as shocked as Faith was. Dr. Boshi was breathing heavily, pain and agony racking his entire body as his very life seemed to seep out of him with every pump of his heart._

_ Anger and rage filled Faith's very being, her eyes turning a dark red as she let out a bestial and primal roar. The pirate barely had time to scream before the wolf-girl came down upon him, slashing his body to literal ribbons with her claws. So rage filled was Faith that she continued well after the man was dead, with only little bits of flesh and a pool of blood evidence of the pirate's existence. Huffing and crying, Faith finally regained her senses and realized what she had done, looking down at her blood soaked hands and front. Bile threatened to escape her throat and mouth when she remembered about Dr. Boshi and ran to his side, hoping that there was still time._

_ "Faith…" Boshi said weakly, blood trickling from a corner of his mouth._

_ "Dr. Boshi, don't talk!" Faith almost yelled, trying to prop Boshi up in her small arms. "You need to save your energy! I need to save you! I—I—"_

_ "Faith…" Boshi said again, weakly placing a hand on Faith's shoulder, "You need… to find your own place…find…what makes you happy. Find your dream…" Boshi's eyes slowly closed, his hand slipping from Faith's shoulder and onto his chest. The last sliver of life faded from him. Faith knelt there, stupefied, as tears continued to roll down her face._

_ "Dr. Boshi…" Faith whispered, as if thinking that saying his name would bring him back. When Boshi did not respond, Faith wrapped her arms around his dead body tightly, still crying and screamed, "DR. BOSHI!"_

In present time, Faith continued to stare down Cullen, the two of them circling each other like a pair of wolves. Partially true due to Faith shifting into her full-wolf form. Tension rose among the spectators, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Cullen puffed out a few small bursts of fire from his mechanical arm, seeing if Faith would react. Seeing that she did not, Cullen raised his arm towards her and let loose a full sized blast of fire.

Faith ducked underneath the fireball, the tips of her fur singed but not noticeable. From her crouched position Faith leaped towards Cullen, fangs bared and claws outstretched. The head on attack did little to faze Cullen, who fired another burst of flame at Faith. "Easy victory." Cullen smirked.

"I don't think so!" Faith shouted, as she began to spin in midair. Rotating faster and faster, Faith became nothing more than a whirling drill. The rotation was so fast that the flames were simply blown out as Faith passed through them, whirling through the air until she hit her target, dead center into the chest of an astonished Cullen.

"Spiral Fang!" Faith shouted as she finished her attack, knocking Cullen to the ground with a bloody, but non-lethal, hole in his chest. Faith spiraled upward and flipped, land back on her feet in human form. Everyone watching, especially the Battle Master pirates, was impressed. Faith's victory, however, did not last long. Just as Faith was about to turn towards Kishikiyoi to talk him down, a mighty fist connected with the side of her face, taking her off her feet and onto the ground.

"Wrong move, girl." Kishikiyoi said, standing over Faith with his flail in hand, "You'll have wished that you lost to Cullen, instead of having me deal with you." Faith winced in pain, rubbing the spot where she was punched. Kishikiyoi reared his flail back, readying a powerful and deadly blow to the young clinician.

"Zip-Line Shot!" Suddenly a metallic cord flew past Kishikiyoi's face, the end embedding itself into the ground not far from where he stood. The Marine captain looked at the end of the cord in the ground, following it to where it came from, until his eyes rested upon the second story floor of Faith's clinic, still on fire from Cullen's attack. No sooner had he looked at the fire a figure jumped from amidst them, repelling down the cord at rapid speeds.

"Dramatic Entrance!" the figure shouted, delivering a strong kick to the side of Kishikiyoi's helmeted head. Though the attack did not knock him to the ground, Kishikiyoi did stagger away from Faith a few feet. The figure between Kishikiyoi and Faith, pulling back the cord from the ground and the clinic, into a large cannon on his shoulder. Standing tall, the man smirked confidently, revealing himself to all.

"Blitz!" Chris shouted, happy to see that her captain was ok and relatively unharmed. Blitz, without taking his eyes off of Kishikiyoi, gave Chris and the others a thumbs up, showing that everything was fine. Faith however was not impressed.

"You were just waiting up there, weren't you?" She asked, rising to her feet.

"Maybe." Blitz replied, placing _Dragon's Roar_ on his back. Just as he was about to pull _Equalizer_ from its holster, Faith smacked over the head, shouting, "IF YOU WERE OK THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU HELP ME?"

"You looked like you were doing fine on your own!" Blitz shouted back, rubbing his head, "Besides, if I had come out any other way, it wouldn't have been a DRAMATIC Entrance. It would have been just an entrance. You understanding my logic here?" Faith didn't reply, instead she smacked her forehead and groaned.

"If you two are quite done," spoke Kishikiyoi, cracking his neck, "I would like to know why you insist on making me more inclined to end your pitiful lives right as painfully as possible."

"Oh you know the usual reasons." Blitz said, waving his hand nonchalantly in the air, "Fame, glory, saving the damsel in distress, a dramatic battle worthy of song and story. The things a quick-witted and dashing pirate hero like me would do." Snorting, Kishikiyoi gave a half-hearted chuckle.

"You? A hero? Don't make me laugh!" Kishikiyoi dropped his flail to the ground and drew out a pair of large pistols from his armor. "I'll let you in on a little secret: There are no such things as heroes. Only those who enforce Justice, no matter the cost. Any who do not fulfill their duties in the name of Justice are as much scum as those who seek to destroy it. So in the name of Justice, I will destroy all scum who oppose it!" Kishikiyoi fired his pistols at Blitz, and simultaneously fired the hidden firearms riddling his armor. Blitz instinctively pushed Faith put of the way of fire, several bullets grazing and singeing his skin and he also attempted to avoid being shot. Gritting his teeth, Blitz twisted his wrist towards Kishikiyoi and fired two shots. The shots hit the Marine's pistols, knocking them out of his hands. Upon losing the guns, the other firearms returned into Kishikiyoi's dark armor.

"Tch, so you want to play rough, huh?" Kishikiyoi sneered, hefting up his giant flail. He charged at Blitz, the flail swinging violently above his head. Blitz sidestepped the attack, the ground where he was standing turning to rubble under Kiishikiyoi's attack. Two shots shot out from the _Equalizer_, ricocheting harmlessly off the black armor of the Marine Captain. Before the bullets even hit the ground, Kishikiyoi retaliated with a strong kick to Blitz's gut, knocking him off his feet.

"Guh!" Blitz grunted, as he rolled from his back to a standing position. During this movement he holstered _Equalizer _with one hand and drew _Matilda_ with the other. Blitz fired another shot at Kishikiyoi, before starting to circle his opponent. Kishikiyoi merely rose up a gauntlet guarded arm and deflected the shot. Blitz grimaced as he saw that his attacks were unaffected, though soon it was due to the pain in his still healing leg.

_'I better make this quick.'_ Blitz thought, weighing his options as he dodged an attack by Kishikiyoi. _'The longer this drags out, the more likely I'll succumb to my injuries from that parasite bastard. But how do I get past this guy's armor?' _ Before an answer could come to him, Blitz was struck in the side by the chain of Kishikiyoi's flail.

"Blitz!" shouted Faith, trying to run over to assist him. She was cut short by a hand grasping her ankle, causing her fall to the ground. Propping herself up on an elbow, Faith looked back to see Cullen, bleeding and beaten from their fight, gripping to her foot.

"Best not to interfere, my dear." Cullen sneered, trying in vain to pull Faith back to him, "Once Kishikiyoi gets into a fight, regardless of if he's 'Noble' or 'Wicked', he hates having others mucking things up." Faith kicked his hand away from her foot, but did nothing to go and help Blitz. Cullen was right; Blitz was going to have to do this on his own.

"So what," grumbled Chris, crossing her arms as she and the other members of the Battle Master pirates looked on as Blitz attempted to knock Kishikiyoi's helmet off with a Rifle Grand Slam, "we're just supposed to sit back and watch the fight like it's some sort of scene from a B-rate movie?"

"Why not?" asked a nearby Marine, who was munching on some bags of popcorn with a few other young Marines, "We get to relax and enjoy a good fight without putting ourselves in danger. Popcorn?" He held out a bag of popcorn to, gesturing to take some.

"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDLY WITH US!" Chris shouted at him, taking a handful of popcorn nonetheless and shoving it in her mouth. _'Hmmm, needs more butter.' _Almost as soon as she finished chewing, Kishikiyoi grabbed Blitz by the throated and slammed him to the ground, knocking _Matilda_ out of his hands and pinned Blitz down. Choking for air and desperate, Blitz grabbed clumsily for _Equalizer_, firing a shot blindly at Kishikiyoi.

"Sonic Shot!" Shouted Blitz, a bullet blasting out of _Matilda_ leaving ripples in air as it sped towards Kishikiyoi. Kishikiyoi tilted his head and allowed the shot to whiz by, chuckling to himself on the pirate's 'poor aim'. Suddenly, Kishikiyoi's vision began to shake, like an earthquake had struck the town but could not be felt. A series of ringing and loud screeches started to fill his ears, causing an unbearable pain.

"GGGRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Kishikiyio screamed clutching the sides of his helmeted head in agony, bolting to a standing position above Blitz. Staggering around the street, his armor began to shift back and forth between golden and black. Bewildered, Blitz stared at the Marine for several moments, wonder what the hell was going on.

"Damn, Blitz. What'd you do?" asked Jin, still yet to be freed from the sea-stone net.

"I'd didn't do anything." Blitz said as he got up to his feet. "All I did was shoot a Sonic Shot at him and then—Wait! Faith!" Blitz turned to Faith, who was rubbing her temples in pain from the sound of the Sonic Shot. "When this guy got all evil and shit, you started wincing in pain. Why?"

"Ah, well," Faith said, trying to remember from before, "I started to get this intense ringing sound in my ears, but what has that got to do with any-"

"If you changed into one of your different forms, could you pinpoint where the ringing was coming from?" Blitz asked, cutting her off from her question. Faith blinked in confusion, not fully understanding what it was that Blitz was talking about. But somehow, she trusted him and decided not to question him. Shifting into her full wolf form, Faith noticed that the ringing sensation, which she felt during the whole confrontation, was more noticeable now that she was concentrating on it. The sound was close, very close, almost like it was...

Faith looked down to her left, at the weakened Cullen on the ground. Cullen noticed that the wolf-girl was looking at him and attempted to stand up and bolt, but Faith was faster and placed a paw on his back, keeping him in place. As Kishikiyoi began to calm down with the effects of Blitz's Sonic Shot wearing off, Faith found a black box strapped to the lower back of Ensign Cullen, where the ringing sound was apparently coming from. With a quick bite, Faith ripped the box off of Cullen and threw it into the air, right into an incoming bullet courtesy of one Battle Master Blitz.

As soon as the black sound emitter was destroyed, Kishikiyoi stopped dead in his tracks, as if just awakening from a trance. His black armor shifted back to golden, and the red glow from his eyes faded away. Kishikiyoi looked around him in confusion as he took off his helmet.

"What the hell just happened?" He asked dumbfounded, scratching the back of his head. "Last thing I remember was agreeing to Faith's compromise…."

"T-the captain's back to normal!" a marine shouted, completely surprise by the recent turn of events. The other marines also seemed to be shocked by Kishikiyoi's turn of character as well. All except Cullen, of course.

"Damn it that was my only emitter." Cullen cursed under his breath, trying with his might to free himself from under the surprisingly strong Faith.

"I understand now." Blitz said, picking up _Matilda_ from where it got thrown and placing it back on his harness. "That thing on Cullen's back was making that ringing sound, and it's what made Kishikiyoi go all Lawful Evil on us."

"Thank for pointing that out, Captain Obvious." Gonzo said, finally freeing Jin from the net. "And what's with the Dungeons and Dragons reference?"

"The bigger question is," stated Zugai, rubbing his chin in thought, "How did the emitter only affect Kishikiyoi, and why didn't any of us heard it?" Sighing, Blitz hobbled over to Cullen and Faith, crouching down so he could get a better look at the marine's heavily pierced face.

"Remember what I told you when we first met? About the three bones in the ear?" Blitz said, staring down at Cullen but talking to Zugai, "Those bones vibrate when sound waves enter the ear. However, we humans can only register sounds within a certain threshold, too high or too low a sound frequency and we won't hear it. Doesn't stop the vibrations though.

Faith here was able to 'hear' the ringing from the emitter because of her devil fruit. Animals, like wolves, have better hearing than we humans do and would be able to detect the emitter when it was turned on. That answers why we couldn't hear it, I doubt even Kishikiyoi actually heard it.

To answer why only Kishikiyoi was affect, well, it's only a theory, but it may be due to a kind of 'mental conditioning'. Example, when you ring a bell before you give a dog its food, eventually it will associate the bell with diner, so if you ring the bell, the dog will think you have food, even if you don't. However, if you ring the bell but don't give food enough times, the dog will no longer associate the bell with food. However, there are some scientific theories out there that say that there is a way chemicals injected into the subject can have an effect on the person when the right frequency of sound of emitted, as the brain used chemical to function. Chemicals that lay dormant in the mind but become active by the frequency, causing a complete change in personality in the subject."

All around him, everyone stared in awe at Blitz and his explanation, mostly because he actually sounded like he knew what he was talking about.

"Wow Blitz, I didn't know you were a Biology major." Faith said, shifting back into her human form. Blitz scoffed at her, grabbing Cullen by his hair and lifting him up to eye level.

"Thing is," Blitz said, staring right into Cullen's eyes, "This guy sure as hell doesn't seem the type who would know the full functions of his cyborg arm, let alone how to make an emitter to the exact frequency and the chemical cocktail needed to change Kishikiyoi's behavior into Wicked Knight. Meaning he had a LOT of help." Before Blitz could begin his interrogation, however, he was knocked to the side forcefully by a very angry KIshikiyoi, who grabbed Cullen by the collar and hoisted him up off his feet.

"You mean to say that the guy who makes me turn into the Wicked Knight and an all-out asshole, a shame to the name of Justice, is one of my own trusted men?" he shouted, shaking Cullen violently, not noticing that Cullen had taken something out from a compartment in his artificial arm. "Now tell me, traitor, who helped you? Who make the emitter? Who wants me to become evil?"

"Not telling you anything." Cullen smirked, tossing the item he had into his mouth. To the others, it looked like a small green pill, but Cullen knew it was more than that, it was a last resort. "I ain't going to jail, either you'll kill me…or _he_ does. I'm a dead man no matter what." Two seconds after Cullen swallowed the green pill, his skim began to change to a green tone and bubble in places throughout his body, causing him to disintegrate in an acid like substance.

"SHIT!" cursed Kishikiyoi, dropping Cullen before any acid got on him. "A suicide pill?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Cullen manically, as all of his body began to melt away, "FUCK YOU ALL TO HELL!" As he melted, his raised his cyborg arm, the only thing not affected by the suicide pill, and extended the middle finger, giving one last insult to everyone around him. Soon, the cyborg arm, still giving the finger, lay in a pool of acid, shimmering down with nothing else left to melt.

"That," Chris said, staring with everyone else, "was the most random thing I have ever seen. I mean, he was all arrogant and stuff one minute, then suicidal the next. What the hell happened?"

"Damn." Said Kishikiyoi, looking at the puddle that was once Cullen, "Just who did this guy work with, if he'd rather kill himself than risk having to deal with him for being exposed?"

"Don't know, don't care. Your problem now." Blitz said nonchalantly, picking up the cyborg arm. "I'll just be taking this, as compensation for today's troubles."

"Hey now, wait just a minute there!" Kishikiyoi shouted, moving in to intercept Blitz, "First of all, that arm is Marine property, secondly you're still under arrest—" Suddenly, Blitz turned to face the larger man, glaring right into his eyes. As Kishikiyoi looked into Blitz's eye, all he could feel was a sense of panic he never felt before. The pirate in front of him was emitting such a powerful killer intent! "Or on second thought, go ahead, keep it!" Kishikiyoi said, forcing a friendly grin on his face. The other Marines also felt this wave of killer intent, their knees clacking together where they stood. Not even Blitz's allies were not affected.

"Whoa, where'd Blitz learn to do that?" Zugai asked aloud, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

"Don't know, and I don't think he's in the mood for telling." Chris said, quietly leading the others away from the Marines that where frozen in place in fear. Once Blitz and the others left, Kishikiyoi sighed with relief.

"Damn, that kid is no ordinary pirate, to let out an aura like that." He muttered with a look of severity on his face. Turning, he noticed Faith standing in front of her clinic, the last of the flames dying out. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread to the whole clinic, mostly destroying that one room that Blitz was in. None the less, there would be a lot repairs to do. Though the girl was facing away from him, Kishikiyoi knew she was worried about what would happen now, how she was going to cover the costs of the repairs, the supplies and whatnot. As if she didn't have enough money problems with the lack of patients. Sighing, Kisikiyoi walked up beside her, looking at the clinic.

"I may not remember everything about what happened when I was the Wicked Knight," Kishikiyoi began, not making any eye contact with the young girl beside him, "but I do know this: You helped those pirates, you fought Marines. I'm supposed to arrest you for that." Faith didn't answer, but Kishikiyoi knew she heard, and understood the situation. Scratching his head, Kishikiyoi said, "However, if you're quick, you may be able to get a few things from the clinic and make it to the harbor. I hear there's a ship leaving soon. You might be able to escape before we could catch you." Faith eyes widened and she looked up at the Marine in shock. Was he suggesting….? "Clock's ticking, Miss Williams."

"Oh! Right!" Faith exclaimed, bowing quickly to Kishikiyoi. ""Thank you so much!"

"For what? We never had this conversation." Kishikiyoi said, waving his hand dismissively as Faith rushed into the clinic to grab her things, only to rush back out only a few moments later. Once Faith was out of sight, KIshikiyoi sighed once again.

"Damn, there is going to be a lot of paperwork, and no Cullen to delegate to them." Turning to his men, he raised an arm up high and proclaimed, "First man who writes a well written report of this incident gets a promotion!"

"YES SIR!"

Unseen by the Marines, a lone hawk perched upon one of the nearby buildings, accompanied only by a small snail. The snail watched with wide eyes at the scene that had unfolded before it, making beeping sounds as it made a mental record of the fight and the revelation of Cullen.

"BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP!" the snail beeped as it started to bang its eye stalks together, before promptly falling to sleep right at the spot. Seeing that its companion was done, the hawk picked the snail with its peak and placed it carefully into a pack placed on the hawks back. With the snail secure in the pack the hawk spread its wings and took flight.

Glimmering in the sun, upon the hawk's pack, was a purple bat symbol with a single red and black eye.

"Wait!" Upon hearing the familiar voice, the crew of the Howling Moon stopped with their preparations to look over the side of the ship, where they saw Faith standing on the pier with a few traveling bags next to her.

"I believe you guys are in need of an on-board physician?" Faith asked, cocking her head to the side. The Battle Mater pirates, obviously surprised, looked at one another to see if they could tell if the others were thinking the same thing. Nodding in conferment, Blitz looked down to Faith, a welcoming grin upon his face.

"Come on up." He said, before pointing to Faith bags. "Jin, go get her stuff. Chris, get the women's quarters ready for a new tenant." The two nodded and as Chris jogged off to do her job Jin jumped down to collect Faith bags, who started to climb up a ladder thrown down by Gonzo. As she reached the top, Faith's foot slipped from the ladder rung. Faith would have fallen off, had Blitz not reached out to grab her hand. Chuckling in amusement, Blitz pulled faith on board, shaking her hand in the process. "Welcome aboard, Miss Williams."

"Please," Faith said, looking around her, taking in her new home and friends, "Call me Faith."

**End Chapter**

**Dun dun dun! Seriously though, who reading this didn't expect the purple bat symbol to show up? Who (or what) the symbol represents will be revealed….in due time. For now, the crew has a new doctor! How will Faith deal with the life of pirate-hood? Stay tune to find out! **


	24. Bounties Abound

**Neo One Piece**

By Nezumimaru

Bounties Abound!

"Thank you Captain, your report is greatly appreciated. We will send a replacement for Cullen soon." A tall man in a high ranking Marine uniform, indicating him as an Admiral, set down the receiver on his Den-Den Mushi, allowing the snail to go back to sleep. Gathering his notes, the Admiral took off to another room in the base, nearly late for his meeting. Entering the meeting room, he saw that everyone was already there, even Fleet Admiral Aokiji.

"My apologies, Fleet Admiral. I was just on the Den-Den Mushi with Captain Kishikiyoi pertaining to the pirate crew we are discussing today." The Admiral explained, placing his glasses on top of head over his pink hair and taking his seat next to him.

"No need to apologize, Admiral Coby." Aokiji said before turning to the other Marine officials. "I'd like to make this a quick meeting. Now there has been some dispute on how we should deal with a relatively new band of pirates in the East Blue: The Battle Master Pirates." Murmurs ripples through the room, many of them quiet arguments about what should be done. Aokiji nodded to Coby, who proceeded to hand out copies of Kishikiyoi's report to the attendees.

"Thanks to Captain Kishikiyoi of the Spire Island outpost, we now know that the Battle Master pirates have acquired yet another member, a young woman named Faith Williams. Miss William is not only a trained and certified medical practitioner, she is also utilizes a Zoan class Devil Fruit, Grey Wolf Model. That brings the member count to…"

"Hey, wot's this mean?" interrupted one of the Marine officials, reading up on the report. "Says here, 'Though the pirates got away, I saw it prudent to award Ensign Langley with a promotion for going above and beyond the call of duty.'?"

"That means he's the guy Kishikiyoi suckered into writing the report for him." Answered another official gruffly. The other officials grumbled in agreement. Aokiji banged the conference table with a hammer, calling everyone into attention.

"Regardless of who actually wrote the report or not, we still need to decide what should be done about this band of miscreants." Aokiji said. Another official hooted loudly, causing everyone in the room to look at him.

"Why should we do anything?" the official said, smacking the report down on the table with disinterest. "Even with this new member, the crew size is only six, hardly the size of a threatening crew. I doubt we will hear much from them other than a few complaints of vandalizing, nothing a respectable Marine squad can't handle." Suddenly, the official sitting to Aokiji left stood up abruptly, glaring a hole into the official that just spoke.

"Do you have something to say, Admiral Dokuro?" asked Aokiji, addressing the man. Dokuro said nothing at first, just continued to glare at the official with his dark purple eyes, long bangs of green hair hanging loosely in front of his pale face. Dokuro thought about his words carefully before opening his mouth.

"The reason, Rear-Admiral, is quite apparent. We cannot just leave this to just any squadron, as this crew was able to outperform Captain Porkalot's before the official recruitment of the first member, and now have defeated Captain Kishikiyoi's. Plus there are now at least three Devil Fruit users on the crew, one of them a Logia class, and a Fishman. And have you forgotten what has happened the last time a small crew like this came from the East Blue?" Silence fell on the conference room, as everyone remembered the legendary Strawhat crew from twenty years ago. Seeing his words sink in, Dokuto picked up a handful of photos and posted them on the wall behind him for the room to see.

"Given the recent events, I believe that these bounties should be placed upon five of the six members." Dokuro said, marking the bounty price beneath each photo. "The exception is the Fishman, 'Cascade' Gonzo, who was once affiliated with the Great White pirates before his supposed death. Him we reactivate his previous bounty." Turning back to the officials and officers, Dokuro continued, "We should not underestimate these pirates, of any pirates for that matter. To do so will only warrant a catastrophe equal to that of the destruction of Marineford during the Whitebeard War. Underestimation WILL lead to defeat. And an era of peace and justice will be naught but a far off pipe dream." A round of applause filled the room as the officials nodded in agreement. Though Aokiji and Coby did not look pleased, they felt that Dokuro had a point and did not offer any alternative.

"As we are all in agreement, I call the meeting adjourned. Get these bounties copied and distributed immediately."

**Line Break**

Within his quarters, Blitz sat at his desk, tinkering with the cyborg arm of the late Ensign Cullen, trying to unlock the secrets it held. Several days had passed since recruiting Faith and Blitz was still studying the arm.

"There's no doubt about it." Blitz muttered aloud, moving metal plates around with a screwdriver and a pair of forceps. "This is defiantly _his_ work, just like with that machine back in Upman. That man…he's turning the East Blue into another of his personal testing grounds…all for his boss's grand plans. Whatever _they_ are." As he worked, Blitz occasionally jotted a few things down on a nearby note pad, recording everything he found and making adjustments here and there to the design. "If I can find a way to reverse-engineer the tech used to build this arm, I can upgrade my ammo to fit into smaller cartridges, allowing more ammo to fit in my guns. I think I can even find a way to increase the overall rate of fire as well…" Suddenly, a knock on the door brought Blitz out of his musings, turning his attention away from the arm.

"Hey Blitz! Gonzo says lunch is almost ready, so you might want to finish up whatever it is that you've been doing in there." Jin's voice called out from the other side of the door.

"Be right out, Aqua-Brain." Blitz called backed, wiping a few smudges of grease from his face and hands. He looked back at the cyborg arm the lay on his desk, sighing in regret for not being able to finish his task yet. Putting the screwdriver and forceps back in their place in the desk drawers, Blitz got up from his seat to head to lunch.

"This meat is astounding!" exclaimed Faith, holding a piece of grilled meat between her hands, a bite taken out of the side and barbeque upon her lips. Faith was sitting on the deck of the Howling Moon, around a table that Zugai had built, along with said builder and Chris. Gonzo was at Honeyaki grilling some more Sea King meat, and Jin had gotten up to collect Blitz.

"I told you Faith, Gonzo is the best cook you can ask for." Chris said with a grin. She too was enjoying a piece of grilled meat, though a little more messily than Faith. Zugai didn't say anything; as he was too busy wolfing down a stack of Sea King steaks. As the three were eating, Jin came back down from the upper deck with Blitz in tow, both of them sniffing the air that was filled with the mouth watering aroma that was barbeque.

"Just in time guys! This next batch is ready to eat!" Gonzo informed them, flipping over one of the meat slabs. Almost as soon as Gonzo had said ready, Zugai had zipped from his seat, plate out in front of him ready to be served. Blitz and Jin were not too far behind with their own plates.

"Geez guys, show some constraint." Chris said, sighing with contempt. Turning to Faith she said, "To be honest, I am glad to have you on board Faith. While I can be a bit tomboyish most of the time, it is good to have another girl to talk to, considering…" Chris trailed off, glancing back at the boys who were gathered around the grill, laughing and telling jokes to one another.

"So I says, 'That's no hippo, that's my girlfriend!'" Blitz said, earning an uproar of laughter from the other guys, who found the joke to be simply hilarious. Getting his wind back, Zugai tapped Blitz on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Ok, ok, my turn. Here goes," he said, trying his best not to burst out laughing before he can tell his joke. "What does a skeleton get when he sees someone he really likes?" After a moment to let the question sink in to the others, Zugai sprung the punchline: "A boner!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The four young men roared, slapping their legs and almost doubling over in laughter. Over by the table, Faith was not all that amused.

"That's just appalling." Faith said in disgust, offended by the crude humor.

"Heh heh that last one was actually kinda funny." Chris snickered, earning a disapproving glare from Faith. Looking back at her, Chris said, "When have you ever seen me act like a girly girl?"

"You really need some feminine intervention, Chris." Faith sighed, continuing to eat her lunch. She may be a pirate now, and her new friends may have little to no manners, but that doesn't mean she can't still act in a dignified manner. Above them, several birds were cawing as they made their flight in the sky. One of them, carrying a bag filled with papers, caught Blitz's eye even from his lower position

"Concussion Shot!" Blitz shouted, drawing _Equalizer_ from its holster and firing at the bird, all with no warning from the others. Everyone jump nearly a foot when the shot rang out, and before they could even yell at Blitz for startling them, the bird carrying the bag and landed on the deck with a THWUMP!

"Shit Blitz, you killed it." Gonzo breathed, staring at the bird as Blitz walked over to it, taking something out of its bag.

"Naw, I just knocked it out." Blitz said, picking up the bird and walking over to the side of the boat. "Don't worry; it'll wake up in time." Before anyone could ask him what he had meant, Blitz dropped the bird and punted it clear into the horizon.

"GAH! Animal cruelty!" the others shouted in shock, as Blitz just sat down at the table with the paper-a newspaper—he took from the bird and his plate of Sea King Meat.

"Oh, like I was going to pay it for this newspaper? Yeah right." Blitz scoffed, flipping the paper open to read it. "2,000 Belli for a newspaper, and people call us criminals. Let's see here, execution of a local mayor, criminals behind the Carkan incident escaping, discovery of a lost reptilian civilization, yada yada yada. Damn, what a slow week in the news. Ooh! Miss Grandline contestants!" Flipping over to the next page, Blitz's eye widened. "Well well, looks like we just went up a level in infamy, ladies and gentlemen." Smirking Blitz laid the paper out in front of him, allowing the others to see what was in the news.

"**Battle Master" Blitz **– 30 million Bellies

"**Crescent Dagger" Chris Hopkins** – 25 million Bellies

"**Demon's Orthopedic"** **Zugai Hibiware **–21 million Bellies, showing a serious looking Zugai swinging his ax some Marines as Spire Island.

"**Cascade" Gonzo **–20 million Bellies, this bounty had an older picture of Gonzo that showed him in full fury in the middle of battle.

"**Water Lord" Jinketsu 'Jin' Namura **–18 million Bellies, showing Jin blasting an unseen foe with his trade mark Mizu Pistol.

"**Canis Medicus" Faith William **–15 million Bellies, showing Faith just as she was about to shift into one of her animal forms, causing her to appear to have wolf like eyes and a feral snarl.

"Holey cow! Look at that!" Chris shouted, snatching her new bounty off the table. "Now this is a fair representation of my skills!"

"Looks like they reactivated my bounty." Gonzo said, tracing his photo with a finger, "Wish they upped the bounty though."

"Oh, now what is this?" shouted Jin, shaking his bounty sheet in frustration. "Why is my bounty the second lowest? I'm a frickin' Water Man, I should be worth more!"

"Bounties are set by threat and skill level." Zugai answered, looking over the bounties. "Though why Chris's bounty is higher than mine, Gonzo's or Jin's is beyond me." Gonzo and Jin nodded in agreement, not seeing Chris behind them with a dark look on her face.

"That's right!" Jin said, as Gonzo followed up saying, "Yeah, the three of us are way stronger than her and she doesn't even have a Devil Fruit so why…" In an instant, Gonzo found himself, slong with Jin and Zugai, battered and beaten in a heap on the deck of the Howling Moon, with Chris sitting on top twirling her Crescent Dagger with one hand.

"Yet I still can kick all your asses!" Chris boasted, giving Jin a good stomp on the head for good measure.

"Point taken." The three young men moaned in unison beneath her. Faith giggled with amusement at the four's antics as she look at her own bounty.

"Hm, Canis Medicus. Fitting, I'd say. But couldn't they have taken a better photo? This one looks so…unflattering." Blitz peered over her shoulder at her bounty photo.

"It's not that bad." Blitz said honestly, as a small blush appeared without his knowledge on Faith cheeks. "Could have gotten the shot a little lower to show off your bust more, make men drool a little, but I digress…" Not even half a second later Blitz was flat on the ground, a large bump on his head letting off a few wisps of steam from where Faith nailed him with her fist. The blush was gone and replaced with a throbbing vein on Faith's temple as well as her hand. Faith then decided to read the rest of the news to take her mind off of Blitz and his lewd comments, her eyes taking her to the article about that 'reptilian' civilization Blitz mentioned earlier.

"'Reptilian Humanoids'? Did such things even exist?" Faith wondered aloud. Hearing her question, Chris hopped off playfully, but painfully, off her teammates and walked over to Faith, scanning the article that caught her attention.

"Oh they sure did." Chris said, scanning the article, "In fact they still do, we met them a while back."

"We did?" asked Gonzo, picking himself off the ground and looking curiously at Chris.

"This was before we recruited you." Answered Zugai, with Jin nodding beside him. "It was quite the…ah…adventure, if you want to hear it." Gonzo and Faith eagerly sat down in front of Zugai, waiting for him to tell the crew's exploits with the lizardmen. While he, Jin and Chris began to recount the days at the Lizardman Island, Blitz had regained consciousness and staggered his way over to the railing of the ship.

_'Ow that hurt.' _Blitz thought, rubbing his head where Faith hit him. _'Gotta learn to keep those comments to myself.' _Staring into the relative calmness of the sea, he thought, '_Well, with these bounties, just about any hunter trying to prove himself is going to aim for us. Things are just going to get harder from here on out.' _Blitz's frowned and burrowed his brow into itself. _'We've gotten too well known too quickly here in the East Blue. Soon we won't be able to keep a low profile where ever we go, and there's a chance that we may not be ready for that kind of life style yet.' _Blitz looked back at his crew, just as Faith launched herself at Chris and put her in a vise-grip like, emotional embrace. Most likely they just told her about what would have happened if they had lost to the Lizardmen.

'_The others…may not be strong enough. Not yet. We need to go somewhere we can move about without drawing to much attention to ourselves, drawing _his _attention. A region where our kind of bounties won't cause head to turn and we are more likely to be ignored until we, as individuals and as a crew, are strong enough.' _Smirking Blitz thought, _'It may sound contradictory, but I think we need to go to the Grandline. The stronger competitors are bound to over look us, as long as we don't give them a reason to take us on. The foes are slightly stronger there than here, but for the sake of local anonymity, that's a risk I'm willing to take.' _

"Crew! Front and center!" Blitz barked, getting the other's attention quickly. In a flash the five pirates under Blitz lined up in front of him, going from Chris to his far right, then Zugai, Jin, Gonzo, and finally Faith to his left. "We have gotten a increase in our bounty, but don't let that go to your head. There are plenty of people out there that can take advantage of that. For now, I want you to plot a course for us Jin. We're paying a visit to Rogue Town." Jin didn't move as he was, along with the others, confused by Blitz's words.

"Rogue Town?" Jin asked, making sure he heard right. "If we're heading there, then are we…?

"Yes sir, Jin." Blitz said with a grin, "After Rogue Town, we head to the Grandline!" A brief silence as those words sunk into the crew, but they soon were cheering at the top of their lungs.

"YEAH! GRANDLINE HERE WE COME!" they shouted, before making their way to various places around the ship as they prepared to sail. Shaking his head in amusement, Blitz trotted back to his cabin to resume working on his upgrades.

* * *

IN A UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

A single man sat alone at a pristine dining table, a pair of small candles the only source of illumination. A well-cooked steak lay before this man on a platter, complete with regal trimmings and a glass of thick red liquid next to it. The man ate a small cut from the steak and a small sip from the glass, savoring every taste from his meal. A few more bites of steak…only to be interrupted by the light of a screen starting up on a wall next to the dining table.

The screen flickered for a moment, before revealing a rather strange and frightening clown, his blue hair done up into two cones on either side of his head leaving the center bald, red paint lining his crazed yellow eyes and his equally crazed grin, finished off by a large red nose. His skin appeared starch white, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to also be a kind of rubber, indicating that this man was wearing a clown mask, though his eye were his own. The man who was eating sighed, but did not look at the creepy clown on the screen.

"You better have a good reason for interrupting my meal, Hannibal." The man said, taking another bite from his steak.

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk. Apologies, master." The clown, Hannibal, chuckled, "Didn't know youse was having a bite. Got's this here report for th' East Blue, thought you'd wanta hear it ASAP." Sighing again, Hannibal's master set down his knife and fork and folded his hands under his chin, waiting for Hannibal to continue. "Well, we's got some new blood fer yer 'private usage' so ta speak, nyuk nyuk nyuk. No probs in that department. But," Hannibal picked up a few papers documenting the full report, "that's just about all there is fer th'good news.

"Seems like Vic's little field test ended badly, being beaten by only two combatants, as he may have already told ya. That little incent also cost us our best buying customer in the East Blue. In other news, we ain't got no more supply o' lizardmen test subjects, as our buddy Trogdor gone and lost his kingship. Leon's brought him ta me and I'll be bringing him ta Vic n' Billy along with their men. Finally, one o' our spies in the Marines, Jack Cullen, was found out to be manipulating Kishikiyoi's persona, and th' Captain wa'n't too happy about it. Cullen used his Suicide Pill before they could find out anything else though." Hannibal's master took a sip from his glass as he listened, his demeanor not changing since the beginning.

"I would hardly call that bad news, Hannibal. Merely a few setbacks." The man said calmly. "With the so called 'failed test' is not upsetting, as now we have data to improve on the design, making the incident in favor of us, actually. And Pelgo is not our only buyer, and is no way the richest. There will be others. With Trogdor, while we may no longer have a steady supply of his kin, we have enough for now, and Doctor Lang has been meaning to try out a means of cloning, so we always have that option. As for Cullen, well, we have other spies. And the Kishikiyoi Experiment was deemed a success long ago. Cullen just wanted to try and use Doctor Lang's leftovers to further himself into the Marine and can more of my acknowledgement. His exposure was his own doing, though I am glad he used the pill, saves me the trouble of having to send someone out to silence him."

"Good ta hear ya seeing the silver lining, master. Nyuk nyuk nyuk." Hannibal said, chuckling once again, "But you ought ta know that th' guy that wot got involved in each spot was th' same guy." A whirring sound came from below the screen, and a sheet of paper with detailing the bounty of 'Battle Master' Blitz, which Hannibal's master took and examined.

"The Boy." The man said, rapping his fingers as he leaned back on his chair.

"Want me to go get 'im, master?" Hannibal asked eagerly, a cleaver glinting in his hand.

"No Hannibal, my orders still stand." The man said, finishing his steak and drink. "Do not engage _'Battle Master Blitz' _unless by I say so. What I want you to do now is rendezvous with the Second Division as planned; give them their men, the prisoners, and Trogdor. Then I want you to head to Okuri Island. The villagers there are rather behind on their…protection tribute. Be a good man and collect it, and remind them why they should make their payments on time."

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk, yes master." Hannibal said, turning around to cut the transmission. Tattooed on the back of the clown's neck, was a purple bat with a single red and black eye. Soon the screen went blank. The mysterious man cleaned his mouth with a napkin, then folded it up and placed it on his empty plate. From the shadows behind him, another man walked into the light. In the dim lighting it was impossible to tell any distinguishing feature, only that this man could easily tower over most others by several feet.

"Your orders?" The massive man said, his voice sounding like his throat was filled with rocks and dirt. The man that was eating rose from his seat, walking past the larger man to a door in the back, a steel door with many locks.

"I do not wish any one to fight the boy." The man said, undoing the locks to the steel door. "Not until I have properly gauged his level of power. And I have a very good feeling on where and when to gauge him." Undoing the final lock, the man opened the door, revealing a room with only a single, small window that allowed light to pour in onto the floor, obscuring most of the back wall beneath the window in darkness.

Various toys lay scattered around the room; building blocks, a toy train, action figures, and a stuffed bear, all of them covered with cuts and on the verge of utter destruction. There was even a small doll house in a state of disrepair; the dolls inside each depicted a gruesome and horrifying death. In the back, on what could be made out to be a bed, there seemed to be a person laying on it, tossing a brand new doll with red yarn for hair into the air, back and forth from the sunlight and the darkness, all while singing a song.

_Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lollipop! POP! Ba-doom-doom-doom_

_I call my baby Lollipop; Tell you why; Her kiss is sweeter than cherry pie;_

_Every time I see her rocking dance; Man I haven't got a chance!;_

_I call her Lollipop, lollipop, oh lolli lolli lollipop; Lollipop, lollipop oh lolli lolli lollipop!_

SHUCK!

The singing stopped, the doll showed in the light impaled by five small blades protruding from the darkness, the blades attached to fingers on a hand. From the door, the man chuckled in amusement, getting the attention of whoever was in the darkness, causing it to sit up on the bed. Though his face was obscured in darkness, there was a glow emanating from this person's large grinning smile, obviously happy to see the man in the door.

"We have job?" the figure asked in earnest, causing the man to chuckle once again.

"Oh, yes Lunacy. I want you to join me on a little trip. There will be people there for you to play with." The man said, speaking as if talking to a young child. The figure's grin grew even larger, as now even his eyes began to glow, his left one glowed blue while his right eye glowed yellow. Strangely, there was a third glow, a red one, coming from the figure's forehead, in the same shape as his eyes.

"I like meeting people and playing with them." The figure said innocently, holding out the impaled doll out in front of him into the light. "Especially when I get to **RIP THEM TO SHREDS!**" The figure expanded his fingers, causing the blades on them to tear the doll to multiple pieces, stuffing flying everywhere. The man in the door grinned evilly, practically knowing the outcome of his plans.

End Chapter.

This chapter may have answered a few questions, only for new ones to emerge. But that's what thrusts a story forward, don't it?

And if you're confused by Blitz's logic, it's like this: Blitz figures the crew would have a better time hiding if they were small fish in a big pond than big fish in a small pond, as small fish can hide better than big fish from an air-borne predator. I think it make sense.

Signed-Nezumimaru


	25. The End Of The Beginning

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

The End of the Beginning, Part 1

* * *

Rogue Town, birth place of the first Pirate King, final end of both Pirate Kings. It is the East Blue's gateway to the Grandline, everyone who seeks to enter the treacherous sea comes here to find all they need to survive, and then some. From its large markets with many stores to its fine dining and monuments, Rogue Town attracts tourists just as much as it attracts sailors and other sea-faring adventurers. Visitors and townsfolk should be extra careful about the law here, though, as there is also a rather large garrison of Marines stationed here, as many pirates need to stop here on the way to the Grandline. More so since….

"You can stop with the exposition Jin. We know all this." Zugai said, as he and the other members of the Battle Master Pirates stood in the docks of Rogue Town. There was a lot of hustle and bustle, so much so that no one even seemed to notice the large bone ship in the harbor.

"Just trying to set the mood." Jin huffed, stretching his arm behind his head. Blitz shrugged, heading off in a random direction.

"See you guys in a few hours!" He called back, giving a short wave to his crew. He didn't even step off the dock, when a purple collar flew at him from behind and latched onto his neck, a chain attached to the collar yanking Blitz back violently to the feet of the new crew doctor, Faith.

"Hold your horses." Faith said calmly, wrapping up the slack in the chain, "We should all know where everyone else is doing, that way we don't forget anything before we leave." Excluding Blitz's gasping for air, everyone nodded in agreement. Gonzo spoke first.

"I can go resupply our food storage." He said, then slapped Jin's shoulder, so hard it nearly knocked Jin over, "Jin can come with me, then I can show him some navigation stuff we'll need for the Grandline. Trust me, I've sailed there before."

"I'll come with." Chris said with a bright grin. "You guys will be needing help carrying the supplies." At this time, Blitz collected himself, brushing off some dust on his arm.

"Fine, then Faith and Zugai can go get some medical equipment. As for me, I need to do some solo shopping to buy some materials for making new ammo for my guns. Need to keep my special mixtures a secret, you know." Blitz was shaken out of his musings by Zugai, who pointed at the bag of Belli at Blitz's waist.

"Just don't go overboard. We don't have enough money for too much personal spending." Blitz waved him off and bolted before Faith could collar him again. Sighing in exasperation, Faith took Zugai by the wrist and pulled him in the direction of the markets to find a medical shop. Chris snickered at the pathetic look of despair on Zugai's face, jogging behind Jin and Gonzo as the three of them headed down a path that smelled heavily of fish, in search of the food. Unseen by the Battle Master pirates, a small form floated above them, watching them. It was transparent, almost invisible in the sunlight, though if anyone could see it, they could see the form tilt its head in curiosity before floating away to a forgotten alley in the city.

* * *

Elsewhere, inside the Marine base in Rogue Town, a man sat in a dimly lit room, looking over a pile of bounty posters on a desk with his small arms, illuminated by a desk lamp. The top most posters were those of the latest to be distributed; The Battle Master Pirates. According to reports, they have created quite the splash, considering they haven't been around for even a full month yet. They certainly are a crew to look out for…

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and a Marine stepped in, saluting the smaller man at the desk.

"Sir, a pirate ship, identified as the Howling Moon, has been spotted in the harbor, and the pirates seem to have left it unguarded. They seem to have split up as well. Do we have orders to detain them?" The Marine asked. The smaller man at the desk did not take his eyes off the posters, thinking about the best approach for a situation like this.

"Not yet. Keep a close eye on them." The man said in a high, nasally voice. "If we try and apprehend them now, a fight will surely break out, and any collateral damage should be kept to a minimal. We will attempt to corner the captain first, then try to convince him to order his crew to surrender. If not, then we will have to use force." The man hopped down from the chair and walked out of the room passed the Marine, the man's head barely going past the Marine's waist.

"We shall wait until the right moment, then strike."

* * *

Blitz walked down a fairly empty street deep within Rogue Town, the décor getting seeder and seeder by the block. The materials he needed weren't those that legit shopkeepers would—or could—provide. Hopefully there was a black market nearby where he could….

Suddenly, Blitz was knocked out of his thoughts when something ran into him. He himself wasn't knocked over the something, or rather, someone was and landed flat on his back.

"Whoops. Sorry about that kid." Blitz said, reaching a hand down to help the young boy, who looked to be around 12 years of age. The boy grabbed Blitz's hand and let himself be pulled up, dusting himself off as he got to his feet. Blitz got a better look at the kid in front of him. The clothes he was wearing seem to be a tad too big for him—both due to being made for someone a few years older and from his rather skinny frame—which consisted of mostly a black robe with a white lotus on the back and a belt. On the belt was a small tanto knife, though with the lack of fraying on the sheath and strap it was apparent it was rarely used. The boy also seemed rather pale, even more so when contrasted with his long black hair. Finishing getting the dust off, the boy looked up at Blitz with his blue eye and gave him a big smile.

"It's ok, mister. I wasn't looking where I was going." The boy reaching his hand out in a welcoming fashion. "I'm Kiyoshi, by the way."

"Blitz." Was the answer, as Blitz took Kiyoshi's hand and shook it. Blitz then continued on his way, on towards his destination within the black markets. Behind him, he could hear faint footsteps on the ground, though he thought that it was just that Kiyoshi kid going the other direction. After a minute of walk, the footsteps didn't get any quieter, confusing Blitz some. Turning around, Blitz saw that Kiyoshi, rather than walk away from him after their brief meeting, was in fact following him!

"Beat it kid. I said I was sorry." Blitz told Kiyoshi very bluntly, before resuming his walk. Kiyoshi did not go away, though, and continued to follow Blitz.

"You're the captain of that ship that came into the harbor." Kiyoshi said, more of a statement than a question. "The one all white and looks like it was made from ivory. You're pirates, aren't you? Did you come here to stock up for the Grandline?" Blitz sighed. He was starting to get annoyed by this kid, but decided to play along.

"Yes, I am the captain of that ship, yes I am a pirate, and yes I am going to the Grandline." Glancing back at Kiyoshi, Blitz said, "Why, are you going to turn me in? Playing Bounty Hunter, right?" Kiyoshi shook his head.

"I'm not going to turn you in." he said. Blitz shrugged, and turned back to the street in front of him, almost missing what Kiyoshi had said next. "I want you to take me with."

"What." Blitz stopped dead in his tracks, Kiyoshi almost slamming into his back from the abrupt stop. Blitz then twirled on his heels to face Kiyoshi, bending over slightly to look the young boy right in the eyes. "You want me to take you with." Kiyoshi nodded. "To the Grandline." Another nod. "Just you." Yet another nod. "Give me one good reason."

"I can pay you." Kiyoshi said, holding up a large bag of money seemingly pulled from nowhere. Blitz glanced greedily at the bag for a moment, but soon composed himself to walk away.

"Not going to happen, kid. I'm not taking you on my crew." Stowing his money bag away, Kiyoshi jogged after Blitz, saying, "I don't have to join your crew, per se, I just need passage to the Grandline. The civilian transports won't let me on without a parent or legal guardian present, and you can just drop me off at the first port town and…"

"No means no kid." Blitz interrupted, stopping again and placing a hand on Kiyoshi's shoulder. "The Grandline is too dangerous for a kid like you. I don't know your reasons for wanting to go, but until you're older, you better stay put. Now beat it." Blitz walked off, leaving Kiyoshi standing in the street, unsure of what to do next.

* * *

In another part of Rogue Town, Faith and Zugai were busy trying to find a store that would sell them some medical equipment and supplies, with little luck thus far.

"Damn, with a town of this size, you'd think there'd be a more than a _few_ medical shops." Grumbled Zugai. While he wasn't adverse to Faith's company or helping with shopping, he honestly would rather stay back on the Howling Moon and work in his workshop on some of the various small projects he has been working on, like experimenting with some bones for a fiber to make rope with. Besides, Zugai was uncomfortable with the idea that there wasn't anyone left behind to guard his ship.

"Well now. Wot we got 'ere, eh?" Zugai ears perked up, the voice all too familiar to him. He quickly spun around, hand reaching for Honehakaisha in case of trouble. Sure enough, the voice came from none other than Card Shark, who stood not far from where Zugai and Faith were, with the bulky Dojang standing next to him. Card Shark had a plastic shopping bag slung over his shoulder, while Dojang carried a large pack on his back.

"You guys!" Zugai shouted, digging his heels into the ground. "You two better not cause any trouble or I'll…."

"Zugai, cut it out!" Shouted Faith, trapping Zugai in one of her dog collars and pulling him down into a sitting position. As Zugai let out a whimper of pain, Faith faced the two mercenaries with a warm smile. "Sorry about that. I take it you gentlemen know each other." Card Shark blinked in confusion, seemingly as if Faith was speaking another language. The stoic Dojang leaned let out a heavy sigh.

"She meant us, Sir Card Shark." He said to his partner.

"Ohh, right!" Card Shark said, rubbing his head in embarresment, "Th' whole 'gentlemen' thing kinda threw me off a tad." Looking back at Faith he said, "Yeah, we know ol' Zuggy, back from th' town o' Upman. We, ah, 'ad a cat brawl 'bout a week or so ago. But really, it was all just a big misunderstandin'…."

"We were hired to destroy noble ship maker's town." Dojang said bluntly. Both Faith's and Card Shark's jaw dropped, shock that Dojang would just come out and say that, and so casually! "Sir Hibiware, I beseech thou." Dojang clasped his hand together and bowed low before Zugai, his wide straw hat miraculously not fall off. "Canst thou find in thy heart to forgive us for our wrong doings?" Dojang, not moving from his bowing position, elbowed Card Shark in the ribs, prompting him to follow suit.

"Yeah uh, we sorry, feen." Card Shark said as he bowed as well, though a bit more reluctantly. Zugai looked at the pair bowing in front of him, then glanced over to Faith. Faith could do nothing more than shrug her shoulder, leading Zugai to a sigh.

"Well, considering that Pelgo lied to you guys and was planning kill you guys as well, I supposed you two are forgiven." Zugai said. No sooner had he finished talk that Card Shark was back up right with a huge grin on his face.

"Well! Now that we're down wit that, we can go on our way!" Card Shark said, turning quickly to leave, only to be caught in Dojang's massive hand.

"_We_ thank ye very much for thy kindness, Sir Hibiware." Dojang said, "Now if there is anything Sir Card Shark or myself can do for either you or your fere, we shall be welcome to comply."

"Well, I don't know about that…" Faith said, waving her hands in front of her, only to be interrupted by Zugai.

"Do you guys know where we can get some medical supplies?" he asked.

"Yes, I know of one such place." Dojang said, pointing down a side path from the main street. "Just down yonder path. Come I shall show you." Zugai and Faith, though hesitant, followed Dojang down the side road, Card Shark taking up the rear.

"I gotta admit, boyo," Card Shark said, wrapping an arm around Zugai's shoulder in a show of camaraderie, "A Med Shop ain't me first choice of destination with a new mot."

"A what?" Zugai asked, cocking his visible eyebrow. If there was one thing he was never going to understand, it was Card Shark's strange words. Where exactly did they originate from?

"You know, yer mot, yer lack, yer wan." Card Shark leaned close, his face mere inches away from Zugai's, a smarmy grin on his face. "Yer girlfriend, you eejit!"

"MY WHAT!"

"HIS WHAT!"

* * *

Off in the other direction, close to the fish markets, the group of Chris, Jin and Gonzo were trying to decide on their next course of action: follow Jin's idea and gather navigational equipment first, or get food supplies for Gonzo.

"If we go get the navigational equipment first, we don't have to spend too much time carrying around dead fish and smelling like them all day." Jin argued, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"We should get the fish first so we can have a chance of getting the good stuff before it's all sold out!" Gonzo argued back, hands on his hips. "And what's wrong with smelling like a fish?" The two glared at each other, neither backing down an inch. Chris, watching the two, realized at that moment the downside of a 'never-give-up' attitude. At this rate, they won't be able to finish their shopping until New Year's!

'_Could this possibly get any worse?_' Chris thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"HEY THERE CUTIE! Where have you been all my life?" Startled, the three pirates quickly turned towards the new, feminine voice. Standing there was a rather short—even shorter than Chris!—skinny girl with lightly tanned skin and short high light red hair. She was wearing skin tight black shorts, a dark red sleeveless shirt and red geta sandals with as eye-patch-like monocle on her left eye. On her hips were two small pouches marked with TNT, which Chris and the other hoped were simply a logo or brand. The young girl was quite pretty, which was heightened by the love struck look in her eyes. Forgetting what they were talking about, Jin and Gonzo swiftly spruced themselves up and presented themselves to her.

"Hello miss, my name is…" Jin and Gonzo said simultaneously, both trying to be charming as possible. However, once they realized that they both had the same idea, they began to glare at each other once again.

"Dude back off, I saw her first." Jin said through gritted teeth.

"As if! Besides, she was _obviously _talking to me!" Gonzo shot back, puffing out his chest.

"Oh, like she'd think you were cute, fish-breath."

"What'd you say!" So busy insulting and trying one-up the other, Jin and Gonzo didn't see that the girl had walk right past them and up to Chris until she heard her speak again.

"Hi! My name's Alia Hanabi. What's your name, cutie?" Behind her, Jin and Gonzo's jaws fell and broke the pavement in shock. In front of her, Chris was trying to keep a straight face but was beginning to sweat profusely, and very uncomfortable.

"She just walked right past us." Jin whimpered.

"Why's she talking to Chris!" Gonzo asked, mouth still opened in shock. Suddenly, a light turned on in Jin's head, which he reached up and turned off.

"Because she thinks Chris is a dude…" Jin thought aloud. The two looked at each other and, by some strange coincidence, began to grin evilly as they thought of the same plan. A very _evil _plan.

"Uhh, m-my name's Chris." Said the shaken knife-wielder, trying to keep her composure in front of not only the misguided girl in front of her, but to her crew mates and the people passing by them. This may be an awkward situation, but damn it if she was going to let her disguise fall.

"Chris, huh? That's such a cool name!" Alia said, inching ever closer, oblivious to Chris's discomfort. "Say, if you're not too busy, think I could steal you away from your buddy for awhile? Get something to eat, maybe? I know of a good restaurant nearby." Alia batted her eyelashes cutely, causing Chris to blush even further. Hell, if she was blushing any more, her blushes would be causing bruises on her face!

"I-I'm sorry, miss, uh, Alia," Chris managed to stammer out, trying to inch away from the invading body. "But my friends and I are very busy getting food and supplies for a long trip and we…"

"Nonsense, Chris!" Gonzo said boldly, grinning widely as she looked at him in shock. "Jin and I can handle thing from here, we have everything under control!"

"Yeah, we sure do!" Jin joined in, also getting a look of despair for the first mate. "We don't want to keep you from a pleasant outing with such a lovely young woman! At least you won't have to smell like fish all day."

"There is nothing wrong with smelling like a fish!" Gonzo shouted back at Jin, grabbing the navigator by the ear and twisting. Chris sweat-dropped at the two, both from their antics, and the fact that they had just doomed her.

"See, they're just fine without you, Chrissy-poo." Alia said sweetly, taking Chris by the arm and dragging her off down the street. "Now come on, we don't want to miss the best tables before the rush!"

"C-Chrissy-poo!" Chris shouted indignantly. If she wasn't before, she was curtained now: This was going to be Hell. As they watch the pair leave, Gonzo and Jin could barely hold in their laughter.

"CHRISSY-POO! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!" the two finally burst, gaining some strange looks from pedestrians nearby. "Oh, Chris is going to **hate** us for this!" Jin wheezed in-between hoots of laughter.

"Yeah, but the look on her face was totally worth it." Gonzo replied, wiping a tear of mirth from the corner of his eye. Calming himself down with a few deep breaths, he said, "Now for that fish smell comment, we're getting the food first."

"Fine by me." Jin muttered in defeat, and the two continued on their way to the fish markets.

* * *

End Chapter

AN—Sorry for the tardiness, I got a lot going on here in college. But anywho, this marks the first part of the last arc in the East Blue. Soon, the plot will really get rolling!

Also, Kiyoshi is the character of **Redcap55**, and yes we will be seeing more of him soon. Alia Hanabi is the character of **Kisdota-The Freak Gamer**. If you are confused on why she's attracted to Chris, it as Jin said, Alia thinks Chris is a guy. A very good looking guy. Heehee, I'm evil CX.


	26. The End of The Beginning part 2

Neo One Piece

By Nezumimaru

The End of the Beginning, Part 2

"Sir, we have a situation." Inside the large Marine Base in the center of Rouge Town, a small man barely four and a half feet tall, was stopped by one of the Marine recruits. The man was dress quite finely, sporting an embroidered blue shirt adorned with medals, with a coat with the Marine insignia upon the back draped over his shoulders. He turned upon his booted heels to face the recruit, flicking a speck of dirt off his pants.

"And what, pray tell is this 'situation'?" asked the shorter man in a nasally voice, adjusting his bicorn hat upon his head, which also had the Marine insignia. "It would not have anything to do about the pirates that have entered town, would it?"

"Uh, no sir, Captain Bane." The recruit said, standing in attention. "It's about our, uh, guest, Jacob Vein. He's gotten into an altercation with Communications Officer Armstrong."

"I see" Bane said, shaking his head in disappointment. He had not yet had the liberty to meet their new guest, but already he's making trouble. "Were are they?"

"In the courtyard, sir." Nodding, Bane walked briskly out to the courtyard, wrapping up his right sleeve incase his had to get physical.

Outside, a circle of Marines formed just outside the base door, murmurs and talk going around each person there. In the center of the circle stood a man around 20-21 years of age, sporting a lime green Mohawk and a mud brown vest over a tan canvas jacket, which had sliver chains running along the left sleeve. His pants were black with a black belt with spikes around them with a silver buckle shaped like a skull and crossbones, and also wearing dark brown boots. A pair of golden earring dangled from his ears, shaped like card suit Clubs, glinting as his emerald green eyes burned into his opponent.

Said opponent stood across from him. Or rather, clung to a post in the ground a few feet from him, as his 'opponent' seemed to be a red octopus with purple lines over his cranium. Several Marine arm-bands were placed on the octopus' tentacles, and a monocle was worn over his right eye. Leaning on the pole beneath him was a large bag, the content of which was anyone's guess.

"Now see here, Mr. Vein!" spoke the octopus, adjusting his monocle with a tentacle. "Orders were quite clear on the matter that you are not to leave the Marine compound until further notice. That means no smoothie runs!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you guys don't have a decent blender in this joint! Nad stop calling me Mr.! It's Jacob!" Jacob shouted back, crossing his arm over his chest. "I think I have just as much freedom to go into town as I am to walk around your base without an escort. Unless, of course, you guys want to throw me in the dungeon and admit I'm your prisoner."

"First of all, Mr. Vein," interrupted a nasally voice, pushing its way through the crowd, "We do not have dungeons, we have jail cells. Second of all, you are our quest, not our prisoner, you are our guest." Finally making his way past the crowd, Captain Bane stood with his hands behind him, shifting his glance to Jacob. "And trust me when I say that you do not wish to experience what we do to…'uncooperative' prisoners." Jacob, looking at his own eye level, looked down at Bane, confusion in his eyes.

"Who are you, shorty?" Jacob asked. As he did, the entire Marine crowd took several large steps back, barring the octopus, who gripped the post he was one for dear life.

"I, for your information, am Captain Napoleon Bane, commanding officer of the Rouge Town Marine Base." Bane answered, annoyance and anger evident in his voice. "As such, I am your host in your time here. Now I can be a good host, or I can be one hell of a son of a bitch. And if you wish for me to be a good host, I suggest you getting back to your guest room. Otherwise, there's always room in the cells with a _very_ affectionate man named Bubba." Turning to the octopus on the post, he said, "Officer Armstrong, I need you back to the Communications Room. We will be starting a pirate-capture-op with minimal civilian casualty and interference. I need you to keep the squads in contact with each other to avoid any surprises. The rest of you get into your formations! We spring the trap in two hours!" The Marines, though shaken, saluted the Captain and hurried off to their posts.

"Yes Sir!" saluted Armstrong, clapping a pair of tentacles at a Marine. "Recruit, I require your assistance!" The recruit hustled over to Armstrong, allowing the talking octopus to leap onto his back and shoulders.

"Geez, you guys are whipped." Said Jacob, slouching with his hands in his pockets. "I mean, you guys are being bossed around by a stuck up little shrimp no bigger than my—" Suddenly, a fist the size of a grown man collided with Jacob Vein knocking him into the street, but rather than leave him there, the giant hand grabbed Jacob and pulled him back, coming face to face with Bane once again.

"Have we learned our lesson yet, Mr. Vein?" Captain Bane asked, receiving a shocked nod from Jacob in his grip. Bane then dropped Jacob, signaling for two Marines to pick him up, before leaving himself.

"Other than respect, that is one reason why we obey our orders." Said Armstrong from his place on the recruit's back, "Captain Bane is the user of a Devil Fruit called the Chita Chita No Mi, and as such is a Titant Man. He can alter the size and proportion of his body with a mere thought. He is indeed a very powerful individual, even took out a crew of giants by himself." Tapping the recruit's shoulder, Armstrong left to the comm room, shouting 'Tally Ho!' as he went. Jacob just was stunned, offering no resistance as he was dragged back to his room. He certainly wasn't expecting that, of all things.

Walking back to his office to get ready for the final preparations, Bane scanned the base, finding something off. Someone was missing. Walking down a hall, Bane spied a young blue haired Marine sleeping beneath a window. Though he wore the standard Marine uniform, he lacked the cap or neck tie; instead he wore a set of large headphones, connected to a portable music player at his hip. His left eye, which was covered with a tattoo of Celtic design, opened slightly, gazed lazily at Bane and went back to sleep. Bane swiftly kicked the young man in the ribs, earning a yelp from the Marine as he jump a foot off the ground.

"Ensign Landon Duran, you were to report to your squad after you were done cleaning the halls. Why are you still here?" Bane barked, an angry tick mark forming on his head. Landon shrugged sleepily, slowly getting up to his feet.

"I got tired, Cap'in." he said lazily, dusting himself off. "B'sides, the squad can't do much without our L.T. to boss us."

"Explain." Bane demanded. As of this moment, his patience was wearing thin, and he had little time for games.

"Lieutenant Hanabi ain't come back from her break yet." Landon spoke bluntly, looked back at Bane with half-closed eyes. "You want me ta go get her for ya?"

"Yes. And do so quickly, we do not have much time to waste." Bane walked past Landon, who shrugged and headed out of the base to the town in search of Lieutenant Hanabi.

* * *

Over in the shopping district, Jin and Gonzo had finished with their selection of fish for their voyage into the Grandline, and at Gonzo's insistence, found their way to a map and navigations shop.

"Why are we here again?" Jin asked, browsing through shelves of freshly printed maps of the four Blues. "I mean, I know you said we need some special equipment, but I'm not entirely sure what it is we need. What exactly makes the Grandline any different than the East Blue?"

"Well, there are several theories," Gonzo said, shifting through a selection of items, "but the one my old navigator told was this: The way a compass works is that it aligns itself with the earth natural magnetic force, causing the needle in the compass to always point North."

"Basic navigations. You don't need to be specialized in the field to know that." Jin said. As he did, another customer bump into Gonzo accidentally, causing a book to fall out of his coat.

"Hey, Mister!" Gonzo called out to him, picking up the book. "You dropped…" Looking back up, Gonzo saw that the stranger was nowhere to be found. He stared at the door out of the shop, then at the book in his hands. "Dr. A. Fox's Theory of Alternate Realities. Huh, sounds like a good read." Gonzo muttered, pocketing the book and continuing on his explanation to Jin. "Hey that's right, but there's the kicker: The islands in the Grandline, according to Ol' Noku, are so rich with minerals with their own magnetic fields that normal compasses get confused, causing them to start spinning around and around. However, there is a way to navigate the Grandline…AHA! I've found it!" Grinning with joy Gonzo picked up the device he had been searching for: a clear glass ball attached to a wrist band, with a small compass needle dangling from the top.

"What's that?" Jin asked, wide eyed at the strange compass. "I've never seen anything like that before."

"It's because they only work in the Grandline." Gonzo chuckled, turning the round compass in his hand. "It's called a Log Pose. Basically, it locks on to an island's unique magnetic signature and points to that island until the user goes there. Once on the island, the Log Pose re-aligns itself to another island further down the Grandline. While there are Eternal Poses that will forever lock to a certain island, there is little to no way to know which way the Log Pose will point next, only that it will lead the ship deeper and deeper into the Grandline, right up until the very end, at the one island that to this day only two crews have been to."

"Raftel." Jin said. "The island where One Piece lies." A large grin crept over Jin's face, his giddiness too much to contain. "Eeii, I can't what to see this in action!" Jin eagerly grabbed the Log Pose out of Gonzo's hands, his amphibious friend chuckling at his antics. Paying for the Log Pose and other cartography supplies, the two left the shop, not know just what was awaiting them in a few hours, or even in a few moments…...

* * *

Within the inner district of Rogue Town, there was a nice little café that was a place of quiet contemplation and gathering of friends and family. At one table, however, sat a single man whose sole presence caused a feeling of unease in the atmosphere. As this man sipped his coffee, he browsed through a pile of papers on the table, the latest bounties of the East Blue. As he sorted through the bounties, one in particular caught his attention.

"Huh, this one looks promising." He muttered, taking another sip of coffee. "30 million, not many pirates in this Blue with that high a bounty." Picking up the bounty poster he got a better look at the face and name of the pirate. "'Battle Master' Blitz, is it? Seems like just the sort of prey to end my hunt in the East, and launch my success into the Grandline."

No sooner had this man left and his table cleared off, Chris Hopkins was pulled to this table by Alia. While trying to maintain a polite and calm exterior, on the inside Chris was anything but. Fear and embarrassment of the situation roared inside her, as did a barely contained anger of the two that put her here.

'Damn Jin, and Gonzo too! When I find them!' Chris hid her thoughts of murder and bloodshed well, though it could be seen by a keen observer that she was extremely uncomfortable with this little 'date'. And a keen observer Alia was not.

"Isn't this such a cute little café, Chris?" Alia asked cheerfully, taking a seat opposite that of her 'date'. "I came here all the time, the food here is to _die _for!" Chris nodded her head nervously as a waiter came to bring them their menus, shooting a sympathetic glance towards Chris. That in of itself was enough to make Chris even more nervous.

"So you come here often, then?" Chris asked, trying to calm herself with a casual conversation.

"Yeah, all the time." Alia said, casually glancing over the menu. Not that she needed to, Alia knew everything that was served here and always ordered the same thing. "I think I'll get the Veggie Lasagna, what do you think, Chris?" Humming nervously, Chris picked up her menu, trying to find something cheap and quick to eat.

'_Let's see, Belgium waffles, spaghetti and meatballs, cheeseburger, chicken salad…I think I'll get the cheeseburger_.' Chris glanced over the top of her menu at Alia, who was smiling oh so cutely back at her. It was actually creeping Chris out.

"Are you two ready to order?" their waiter asked, seemingly popping out of nowhere and causing Chris to jump a foot out of her seat. After taking their orders, the waiter took their menus and thanked them for waiting. The moment he left, Alia was back to smiling at Chris, as if waiting for her to say something. An awkward silence fell between the two, with Alia still smiling at Chris and Chris doing her best to avoid eye contact. After a full minute, Alia's smile fade, replaced by a look of annoyance.

"Well?" she asked, catching Chris off guard.

"Well what?" Chris asked back, confused.

"You should be saying things right now," Alia said, leaning back on her chair, "like what a nice day it is, how wonderful this date is going, how pretty I look. Those kinds of things." Suddenly leaning forward onto her elbows and close to Chris's face across the small table, Alia asked, "You haven't been one many dates, have you, Chris?"

"Er…" Chris gulped, leaning back to create some distance between her and Alia, "Actually, this kinda is my first date, if you want to call it that…" Alia's eyes widened, he mouth opened slightly in surprise.

"Y-your first?" Alia said. Chris nodded, and Alia pushed herself backwards, giggling. "Oh, that's so cute!" She said, her hand to her mouth as she continued to giggle. "Well, I'm honored to be your first date, Chris. I hope I can make it…memorable." Alia winked at the last part, sending shivers down Chris's spine.

"But still," she continued, as their waiter soon came back and set down their orders, "I surprised you haven't dated before. I mean, you look like a guy that would have girls begging you to date them all the time!"

'_Maybe because I AM a girl_.' Chris thought, taking a bite out of her burger. Alia paused in her speaking to take a bite from her Veggie Lasagna, only for her fork to stick in the dish. Trying to get it unstuck, Alia pulled at the fork, until suddenly it came to, flinging a portion of lasagna up and at her, causing a big red spot on her shirt.

"Oh crud!" Alia cried, standing straight out of her chair. "Can you excuse me, I need to wash this out quick before it stains!" Before Chris could even say "OK", Alia had rushed off toward the ladies room, leaving Chris alone at her table. Seeing that she was alone, Chris slumped in her chair and sighed a heavy sigh. This is getting ridiculous!

"So, got dragged into a date with the infamous Alia, huh kid?" Chris jumped nearly out of her seat, as the waiter once again appeared out of nowhere beside her.

"Stop doing that!" Chris hissed. "What are you, a freaking ninja or something?" The waiter chuckled, pulling a chair from nearby table and sitting next to Chris. "And what do you mean, 'infamous'?"

"Oh, you're not the only guy that Alia brought here for a 'date'." The waiter said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Alia brings a different guy here every so often, starts to date them, and then dumps them the moment she spots a hotter guy." Leaning back on his elbows, he said, "You know the pirate Black Leg Sanji and his penchant for the ladies? Well, it's the same thing for Alia and men. Heck, if you're lucky, she'll spot another guy on the way back from the bathrooms and leave ya!" Chuckling once more, the waiter set the chair back at the other table and left to continue his work, leaving Chris to ponder her situation.

'_Well, here's hoping.' _Chris thought, chewing on her burger as she waited. _'Maybe I will get lucky and she'll forget about me. Then I can be free to seek my revenge on Gonzo and Jin!'_ Chris grinned evilly, planning what torturous means of retribution she would inflict on her traitorous comrades.

"What are you smiling about?" Chris once again nearly jumped out of her seat, startled by Alia's sudden return. Alia came back relatively the same, the spot on her shirt gone and nary a stain on it. Sitting back down across from Chris, Alia gave an evil grin of her own.

"You weren't thinking about me in the bathroom were you? Of me getting my shirt _all_ wet trying to get the lasagna off…" Alia purred suggestively, causing Chris's face to turn beet red and almost choke on her cheeseburger.

"WHAT!" Chris shouted indignantly. Just what kind of person does Alia think she is?

"Oh ho ho ho ho! I merely just, Chrissy-poo!" Alia laughed, "You should see your face, priceless!" Chris crossed her arms in a huff, still a bit miffed at the, though playful, accusation.

"Look, Alia," Chris said, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get going. I have to get back to my ship soon, I mean I don't want to risked getting left behind." Standing up from her seat, Chris fished out some money to cover the bill and left it on the table.

"Aw, don't be like that, Chrissy-poo!" Alia begged, getting up and following Chris down the street. "I'm sorry about teasing you like that, most guys I dated usually aren't bothered that that kind of thing." Alia reached out to grab Chris lightly by the wrist, slowing down her retreat.

"You shouldn't assume all guys are the same." Chris said, trying to escape her grasp without it seeming to harsh.

"I know, I just…" Alia paused, her eyes drifting down to her feet. "All I want is a hot guy who likes me, is just as sweet and caring as he is good looking, and puts up with who I am, is that too much?" Looking back up at Chris, a strange look appeared in Alia's eyes as they met Chris's. While trying to keep a calm exterior, in Chris's mind she was screaming.

'_You better not be doing what I think you're doing!' _Chris's mind cried, heard by no one but herself. _'Don't you dare do it, don't you dare…'_ Unfortunately, Chris's fears came true, as Alia all of a sudden flung her arms around Chris's neck and locked her into a full out kiss.

'_NNNOOOOOO!' _Chris shouted in her mind, her eyes wide in shock. Chris immediately pushed Alia off the moment she could feel tongue, resisting the urge to wipe the taste from her mouth.

"What was that?" Chris shouted, back away half a step from Alia.

"An incentive," Alia replied, pressing her forefinger to Chris's lips, "in coming back one day. Hope to see you in the future, sailor!" Alia then ran off, giggling like a mad woman. Chris just stood there, shocked and feeling dirty. Suddenly a great sensation arose from the very depths of her inner being, causing Chris to vomit up her recently eaten burger into a nearby trash can.

"GOD DAMMIT!" Chris cursed, wiping the remaining bile from her chin. "Never again. NEVER will I EVER experience anything like that again! EVER!" Righting herself up, Chris scanned the street, just in case there was anyone who saw that little scene. Luckily, there were few people and nobody noticed or seemed to care. There were, however, two people who had yet to notice Chris that she would need to have a 'chat' with.

"JIN! GONZO!" Chris yelled, taking out her two daggers and charging at her crew-mates. Upon hearing their names, Gonzo and Jin turned around in time to see Chris speeding towards them.

"Hey Gonzo." Jin whispered to his companion, gripping his bags tightly.

"Yeah?" Gonzo replied, taking a few steps away from the still charging Chris.

"I have a great idea." Jin also took a few steps back.

"What?"

"RUN!" The two then raced down the street, running as fast as their legs could carry them while still carrying their supplies, with Chris biting angrily at their heels.

"Get back here you two! I'm going to murder both of ya!"

* * *

Alia skipped merrily down the street, humming gleefully. She was not watching where she was going until...

*OOMPH!*

Alia crashed into someone and landing smack down on her rear, yelping in pain.

"OW!" Watch where you're going!" She muttered, picking herself back up.

"Oh, it's you." the person she ran into replied, who turned out to be none other than Marine Ensign Landon Duran. "I've been looking for you, Lieutenant Hanabi."

* * *

AN- I am so SORRY! This took forever to write, not due to difficulty of thinking of content, but with the holidays, getting back to college and my recent addiction to Warcraft, I've been putting this off. Hopefully I can get into a system where I can fit everything in.

Jacob Vein is the character of Mr. Panda, I do believe.

And yes, I went there with the Chris and Alia encounter. If you have any problems with this, I shall direct you to the Department of Shut The Hell Up This Is My Story. Also I thought it'd make a good sub-plot in the story. What do I mean by that? You'll just have to wait and see! Oh ho ho ho ho! I'm evil!

Also, I would like to say that after this arc, I will have a special chapter, a Questions and Answers chapter, where I will take the questions of you, the readers, and have the crew of the Battle Master Pirates answer them. I would like to say this right away, I will not answer questions of events/people that the characters have not met or experience, or if I feel I cannot answer without revealing too much of the plot, nor will I answer if I am going to use any characters readers have submitted. Other than those parameters, feel free to ask me, or the crew, anything!


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